


The Curse of Cats

by crystallis_neige



Series: My overblown one-shots —.—; [1]
Category: CLAMP - Works, X -エックス- | X/1999
Genre: Actor Subaru, Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Actors, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Animal Transformation, Curses, High School Student Kamui, M/M, OOC-ness, Soulmates, Toys, Wet Dream
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-02-26 22:41:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 22,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21636658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crystallis_neige/pseuds/crystallis_neige
Summary: Kamui lost his mother one year after his birth. His mother had always been weak and her health had only deteriorated after he had been born. But his father had never despised him over it. No, his father, Shirou Jin, loves him from top to toe. Even if the elder Shirou was busy with work nowadays.Kamui knew that he is loved by his father and family. But he still feels lonely. But one day after school, his life will change forever when he finds something very unexpected.He is just happy that he is still alive after that encounter!DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters! Except the OC:s! The X/1999 and Clamp characters belongs to Clamp!
Relationships: Shirou Kamui/Sumeragi Subaru
Series: My overblown one-shots —.—; [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1559593
Comments: 9
Kudos: 22





	1. The Curse

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thiective](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thiective/gifts).



> This fic was inspired by Thiective-san's 'Each Grain of Sand - Cat!Subaru AU'. Which I really like. 
> 
> P.S. I know that big cats do not act like I have described in the fic. It is called fanfiction for a reason! Really if you ever encounter a wild predator do not act like Kamui does!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaguars do not live in Japan. Kamui won't budge on this even if he is kind of having a stare-down with one.

Kamui heaves a sigh as he loosens his tie. Sitting on the backside porch at his family’s shrine’s backyard. It was awfully hot for a May day. Being in school had been hell on Earth. While sitting beside the window was a blessing for him since the fresh air blew in and cooled him somewhat. Everywhere else was another thing entirely.

Every student had sought protection outside in whatever shade they could find since the AC:s in the school building hadn’t been turned on yet. Killing the students and teachers alike with the heat.

Kamui lamented the fact that wherever he went a lot of people followed him. It had almost been impossible for him to find a place where he wouldn’t be bothered at while seeking protection from the heat.

This was one of the few times he had been glad to have connections in the student council. Especially since the current president is his cousin from his maternal grandfather’s side. His grandfather had after all married into his grandmother’s family. His cousin, Imonoyama Nokoru, was eccentric and ‘a protector of all women’ as the blonde likes to call himself. He was also extremely smart and a doting older brother to Kamui. Since they both are only-children.

So, knowing of Kamui’s aversion to big masses of people, Nokoru had given the younger teen the key to the rooftop for an indefinite time for use. Which Kamui did take advantage of. As long as his grades remained in the top ten of his year, he was allowed to skip some classes. Either to sleep or to hide from his more persistent fans.

He was just about to step inside, when he heard some scratching come from underneath the wooden porch. Thinking that it was one of the stray cats that he usually feeds, Kamui was thinking of coaxing it out to pet it, like the cats always allows him to do once they get used to him.

Bending down, violet eyes widens as they meet with shining, green eyes. The only thing in his bewildered mind that Kamui could make out was:

_‘What the fuck?!’_

* * *

Kamui honestly doesn’t know what to do as he hold a staring contest with — from what he could see in the darkness under the porch — a large jungle cat, or more specifically, a black jaguar if his obsession of wild jungle animals from his elementary grade school years still held correct. Which didn’t make sense!

While this was in the suburbs of Kyoto and his family shrine was on a higher altitude, specifically on a mountain, and was surrounded by a forest. There shouldn’t be any jaguars in Japan. At all. Their habitats were in America, Texas, the Cerro Colorado Mountains in Arizona, the southern parts of California, New Mexico, US, in the Central and South America’s rain forests. Most of them living in the Amazon rain forests. They could also be found in Africa and Asia. But jaguars didn’t live in Japan. It was the leopards and Iriomote wild cats that did.

Kamui held the large cat’s gaze, not moving a muscle. Afraid of provoking it. His mind a jumble. Why the hell was there a panther underneath their porch? How did it even arrive here? How the hell hadn’t one of the other priests noticed it entering the premises?

A smell of iron suddenly wafted to his nose and made his face wrinkle. Unconsciously, violet eyes were drawn to one of the cat’s back legs, where he saw a small dark pool underneath the furry leg.

“You’re hurt?” His eyes softens in sympathy. It seems like the large cat doesn’t have any intentions of hurting him. Kamui straightens himself back up, slightly swaying from all the blood flowing back down. He opens his school bag and takes out a water bottle and a handkerchief. Wondering slightly if his cousin’s insanity has finally rubbed off on him for what he is about to do. Questioning his own at the same time.

“Hey, can you come out here?” Kamui crouches down on the stone path and grass, his voice also soft and gentle as to not startle it. “If you stay there your wound will get infected. If you promise **not to** eat me, I can treat it inside my house.”

Kamui really emphasized that he didn’t want to become its dinner in exchange of treating it. Clear green eyes looks at him with an unnatural intelligence that an animal shouldn’t, wise beyond its years. Kamui almost recoiled back, but his damn soft spot for animals that were hurt rooted him to his place as he watches the panther rise up and slightly limps towards him. He holds himself completely still and bares his throat to it. Letting it sniff at him, trying to not show any signs of fear, despite his heart feeling like a rabbit high on sugar.

He shuddered when the cold nose touched his cheek. The panther withdrew from his personal space and Kamui carefully moved to its side. Seeing the bleeding flesh wound Kamui dampens the handkerchief with water and ties it gently around the leg. He takes another hanky out and wipes the rest of the blood away from the fur and cleans the paw. He didn’t want to leave bloody paw prints on their wooden floor or on the tatami mats.

“C’mon.” Kamui gently leads it inside his house, and into the bathing room. He searches underneath the sink for the box of medical supplies for animals. Which his father had given him with an exasperated sigh and a smile when his parent found out about his habit of treating wounded animals and feeding them. The man had also given him a universal animal shampoo and conditioner.

He takes off his school shirt, tie and belt and places them behind the glass door that separated the bathing area to the undressing area as to not dirty them before walking back to the jungle cat, crouching beside the injured limb.

Kamui immediately unties the now dirty handkerchief and cleans the fur and skin around the wound. He disinfects the wound and gently wraps it with a clean bandage meant for animals. Ignoring the growl coming from the animal. It still hadn’t attacked him so he should be safe somewhat safe. Then he puts on a plastic wrapper on the leg.

The panther smelled. And not in a good way. Kamui wouldn’t be able to be near it if he didn’t clean it. Fortunately, so didn’t the jungle cat seem to mind him washing it — or he as Kamui found out — he even purrs as Kamui cleans him.

The teen laughs as the cat shakes itself off of excess water like a big dog before he could towel it dry. Kamui places a towel on the floor of the undressing area and leads the panther lie down on it before wrapping another around it. When Kamui is satisfied with how bundled up his new stray was, he unbuttons his now wet school pants, shimmying them down together with his also wet underwear.

He places his school uniform into the hamper and takes a towel back with him to the bathing area. Leaving the foggy glass door slightly open so he could keep an eye on his new house guest.

He wasn’t worried that his father would come back and find him together with a panther for at least two months more, since the older Shirou was currently in Tokyo and working. His father had left him in the man’s ancestral home and at first Kamui’s father had worked from home as much as he could when Kamui was born. But the older the boy became the more independent he became and managed to persuade his father to return to work. While he was mostly alone in the house behind the shrine, he didn’t live alone per se, he lives near the head priest that is his uncle, Shirou Shin. Who lives in a house not that far from his father’s.

The shrine premises was so big since this shrine worshipped the Goddess of the Sun, Amaterasu.

Shin was also a doting uncle-idiot. But since he was also quite busy with his duties as the head priest, he wasn’t able to spend that much time with his only nephew. Kamui didn’t mind since it was like growing up with two fathers. And they both had spent the majority of his childhood with him despite them both being very busy people.

But his uncle was currently away on a purifying journey for a year as was the rule for every priest of the shrine. This year it was his uncle’s turn. So the man had been gone since the first day of New Year. And wouldn’t be back until the next 31st January.

So currently so was Kamui alone in the house and the only member of the Shirou family on the grounds. He would also help out in cleaning the Shrine and selling talismans and such. Sometimes he would even help with an exorcism if it was needed.

Kamui fills the bathtub with hot water as he sits down on the low bathing stool and washes his hair and body. When he is done, he enters the hot water, sighing as his body was encased in the warmth.

He never noticed that the jaguar had lowered its head and closed its eyes, as if not wanting to see anything unintentionally.

* * *

After the bath and getting dressed in some loose clothes, Kamui lead the panther to his bedroom. He took out one of the old futons that they would have to throw out later. Before letting the big cat getting on the soft mattress, Kamui took out a hair dryer.

Twenty minutes later, the raven haired teen had a black, dangerous, big cat all stretched out on his lap and purring as he dried its fur and brushed the sleek hair into place. The male jaguar was all cuddly and purring and let Kamui pet him. At least until a gurgling sound came from Kamui’s stomach.

Kamui laughs sheepishly. It had been so hot that he had lost his appetite during lunch and had opted to take a nap instead.

“What should I feed you?” Kamui muses out loud as he scratches the black feline behind its ears. “I do have some fish but it is grilled. Would you even like that?”

Kamui feels the panther tightening its muscles as it stood up and laughs as it noses at him and tries to lick his face with its rough tongue.

“Hahahaha! T-that’s cold!” It ended up with Kamui falling back on the old futon, laughing with the panther rubbing itself all over him. Purring as the teen playfully tries to escape. “A-alright! The grilled fish it is then! Just please! Stop trying to tickle me!”

The large cat gave him one more nuzzle before getting off him and laying down on the futon. Kamui wheezes as he tries to get air into his lungs, stomach hurting from laughing too much. He wonders a little when the last time he had laughed so hard had been. It must have been while his father still lived with him full-time.

Getting up, Kamui goes to the kitchen and gets the grilled fish, warming them up a bit before placing the food on a plate. He was too lazy to cook something today and searched the cupboard for his cup ramen stash. Heating up water, Kamui waits for three minutes for his noodles to cook and takes a tray where he places a bowl and the plate with fish on the bowl, two water bottles and his cup ramen and walks back to his room.

Entering his room, Kamui places the tray on the low table inside the middle of the space. He then puts down the plate with fish near him and the deep animal bowl beside it and fills it with water from one of the bottles.

Seeing the cat getting up from the futon to lie down in front of the plate and start eating makes Kamui smile before he turns and switches on the tv. One of his father’s old dramas had a rerun today and Jin never allows him to see them whenever he asks about his old works since the man is embarrassed over it.

He watches the drama with interest in seeing his father ten years younger than he is now. He also notices another familiar person that has co-starred with his father for years now.

“Hee~? So Sumeragi Subaru was also acting with dad in this drama?” The loud musing draws the panther’s attention from its food. Seeing the brightly lit colors of the television. Kamui notices the curiosity shining in the black pupils.

“The person playing the lead role is my dad,” Kamui explains, his voice tinted with pride over his father’s accomplishments. “It’s amazing over how he still managed to become the top actor in our country yet still spending so much time with me.” His voice took a nostalgic lilt to it as he starts to reminisce old and fuzzy memories.

“My mother died about a year after giving birth to me. Her body weak from childbirth.

I have almost no memories of her. But I do remember her holding me while singing. Dad being beside us. Taking a nap. I can somewhat recall crawling towards him and mother lifting me up so that I was lying on his chest.” Kamui chuckles.

“I can somewhat recall dad’s startled face when he suddenly woke up with me being on him. Then he laughed and made funny faces to make me laugh.”

Kamui suddenly started to feel sleepy. The heat of the day, his now full stomach and the warmth of the panther beside him, lulls him to close his eyes and lays down on the carpet. He falls asleep in moments.

Later he would be thankful that it is Friday and that he didn’t need to finish his homework that evening.

* * *

The panther watches the fall and rise of the boy’s chest as the human curled closer to him. Naturally seeking his furry body’s warmth.

He could feel how his bones cracks and reforms. The fur regressing back into skin. His form growing taller.

Soon a tall, human man was standing inside Kamui’s bedroom and picking the boy up and placing him on the western bed. Tucking the teen in. He sat beside the boy, caressing one sleep flushed cheek.

“To think that you are that man’s child. At least I am able to see you again.” The man leans down to press a kiss to the boy’s forehead.

He then reverts back to the panther he had been when the teen found him and lays beside the boy on the bed. Wanting to be beside this kind and beautiful human for a little more.

* * *

_He can feel hands roaming all over his body. A finger drawing tight circles around his nipples. His penis standing in attention. Having been aroused almost the whole day as his lover had been at work. Leaving him at the house while being plugged by one of his lover’s toys._

_He can feel a hand playing with the plug’s end. Thrusting it shallowly in and out of him. He moans when he feels the vibrations starting up again. Right against his sweet spot. He wants to cum but the ring around his base prevents him from climaxing._

_His lover is a sadist. Enjoying his plight and begging. When he feels fingers toying with the ring and lightly caressing his stiffness. He mewls and arches his back when the devious device is finally taken off of him. His back arching as he comes with a scream._

_His violet eyes connecting with bright, emerald green eyes._

Kamui wakes up with a start. His heart beating wildly in his chest from the dream. Sure, he has had wet dreams before. But they were always with shadowed figures or some famous person. But they were mostly women. This was the first time he had dreamt of a man. Because of how the dream went, it was obvious his mysterious dream lover had been a man. A woman’s hands weren’t that big.

Unconsciously, he shifts his legs slightly, only to wince when he feels a wetness in front of his boxers. Lifting his blanket, he flushes when he sees the wet and sticky patch on his blanket. His eyes turns to the side and meets the slit eyes of his current roommate.

His flush deepens as he recalls seeing a similar color in his dream.

“I…th-this is normal for a human my age…!” Is his flustered explanation. Like the large predator would understand him. Hastily he gathers the dirty sheets and rushes out to the washing room to clean them. Not forgetting to get a clean pair of clothes to change into.

* * *

He woke up due wriggling beside him. Huffing an annoyed growl. The panther lifts his head from his comfortable position beside his temporary caretaker. His annoyance transforms from irritation to fascination as the boy’s cheeks are redder than before. The boy, Kamui, moans silently and suddenly the blush deepens to a crimson red as the slender body shudders.

A musky smell starts to emit from the bundle. If the panther had been in his human form, he would have blushed as he realizes that he had just watched a boy in the middle of his puberty have a wet dream.

He recalls seeing the lithe and pale body of the boy in the bathroom when the teen had changed unknowingly in front of him. He had also gotten a full view of the unexpectedly broad shoulders and then the supple chest and slender waist. He had seen the pink buds perking slightly while Kamui had washed his fur.

He had to crush the sudden heat that suddenly emerged in his body. But to do that he first carefully climbed off the bed and back to the old futon that Kamui had placed out for him to lie down on. He watches the boy jerk awake, breathing heavily like he had just ran a marathon.

Observing as the teen lifts the blankets, the smell of musk increases. His tail is starting to sway. He curbs his animal instinct of attacking the teen in this form. He doesn’t even have a shred of a thought that the boy is into bestiality.

His eyes connects with post-orgasm filled violet eyes. The flush on Kamui’s cheeks deepens as their eyes met and the boy nervously spluttered out that this is normal occurrence for someone his age. Like he had to defend himself from having had a wet dream.

He watches as the boy makes a hasty exit and can hear the wet squelches coming from the front of the pants every time the boy takes a step.

Really, being a predator animal is bothersome when his instincts screams at him to claim this peculiar boy. Knowing that he can’t act on it. While his body was that of a beast’s, he still had a human’s consciousness.

* * *

Kamui had changed to a white hakamashita and a light blue hakama. After preparing breakfast for him and his guest. He had to do his usual morning duties. Cleaning the shrine floors and railings and then he had to sweep the outer grounds. He was currently sweeping the top of the stairs.

A twig snapped and footsteps could be heard coming from the stairs. Kamui looks down and internally grimaces as he sees a man in a gaudy white suit and a pink colored leopard printed undershirt. A thick gold necklace around his thick neck.

There were also two, burly men together with him. Both wearing black suits and flashy colored undershirts.

They were here again. Taking an opportunity to appear when neither his uncle, father nor any of the other priests were present.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the Shirou Shrine’s young master himself.” The man in the white suit greets in a mocking voice.

“Kuzushita-san.” Kamui simply says. Trying to keep his temper in check. “What kind of business do you have at our humble shrine?”

“Nothing big, nothing big. I’m just here to ask when you will take me up for **that** offer?”

Kamui mentally shuddered in disgust. About a year ago, Kuzushita had appeared in front of Kamui and had offered him a job. But the catch of it was that it was a job as an AV actor. Or more likely as a prostitute. Some of the man’s clients had apparently seen Kamui wandering around the town and had taken an interest in him. So, the man had come to Kamui to coerce him into taking it.

Even then so had Kamui thought that there had been something fishy about the offer and had declined the offer. Later he found out from one of the spirits that likes to visit him what Kuzushita had planned to make him into.

“I believe that I declined that offer already.”

“Ah, you did. But you know there are times when people suddenly disappears, you know.”

Kamui hadn’t been prepared for the meaty hand that caught his arm in hard grip. He struggled as much as he could. He even tried to hit the man. But his other arm was also seized in the other thug’s hand. He glares at the chubby man, who reaches out to grip his chin.

“As much as I find your expression enticing. We will have to train it out of you at our ‘facility’,” Kuzushita chuckles. Already planning on ways to make the teen subservient to him and his clients.

The men in black suits managed to drag the struggling teen a few steps down the stairs, following their boss down. But they all stopped in their tracks when they hear a menacing growl coming from behind them. The men slowly turns around and sees a black panther baring its fangs at them. Looking ready to pounce at them with a moment’s notice.

The powerful predator surges forwards and swipes at one of the men holding Kamui. Its claws fully outstretched as one of Kamui’s capturers releases him to dodge the deadly hit. Taking the opportunity of the other thug’s surprise, Kamui frees himself and hurries behind his unexpected protector. The panther stands in front of Kamui, protecting the teen with its own body as it bares its fangs towards the disgusting humans.

It growls again. This time the thugs run down the stairs as fast as they could as the panther pounces again. Chasing them until they no longer can be seen. It later returns to Kamui’s side. The teen having lost the strength in his legs and was now sitting on the ground.

“I-I’m fine,” Kamui smiles a little shakily as the situation finally dawns down on him. He had almost been kidnapped in broad daylight, from his own home. He feels the large feline nuzzle its nose to his cheek. “Are you trying to cheer me up?”

He pets the surprisingly gentle animal and shakily stands up again. The panther uses its head to push and nudge him forward and towards his family house. Kamui does as it wants and struggles to take off his sandals at the foyer when the feline gently bites the side of his hakama and tugs him inside.

The panther leads him to the bathroom.

Black eyebrows rise in surprise.

“You want me to wash myself?” When it lets out an approving growl, Kamui dubiously — to his own disbelief — takes off his clothes and places them in the hamper and washes himself clean. This was already the second time of the day that he is showering. When he is done, he squeaks when the panther bites at his towel. Almost making it go loose if he hadn’t hastily grabbed onto it.

“H-hey! D-don’t pull at it like that! I-I will follow you so just stop that!”

The jaguar lets go of his towel and gives him a look that Kamui doesn’t understand. He follows the black feline all the way to his bedroom, where it suddenly pushes Kamui down on the futon he had placed out for it. The teen almost screams as he sees the predator pounce on him but stops when he realizes that it is rubbing itself all over him.

A page of an animal magazine appears inside his memory. In there it was written that some felines doesn’t like when someone — that it consider theirs — smells of another animal or person and that they would rub their bodies on what they consider theirs to prevent others from approaching. Kamui thought it would be kind of cute if it wasn’t for the fact that he was currently only wearing a towel.

But he also knew that he shouldn’t aggravate it. He didn’t want to fall offer for those sharp claws.

* * *

He had been napping outside on the porch in the sun when his ears suddenly picked up the sound of heavy footsteps. They weren’t like the priests’ or Kamui’s steps, which were very light and swift. He could also smell the vile scent of tobacco and drugs.

His instincts screaming at him to hurry towards the kind teenager that had picked him up and treated his injuries. Despite not being afraid of him, Kamui didn’t ever forget that he wasn’t a house cat but a curious jungle cat that let the boy pet him.

He stands up, ignoring the twinge in his back leg and leaps through the large premises. Easily locating his temporary caretaker. Red colors his eyesight as he sees rough looking men grabbing Kamui, his human, and forcing him down the stairs. The lecherous grins on their faces revealing what kind of things they have planned to do to the beautiful boy.

His rage had reached its line and he lets out a loud growl. Seeing the humans stiffening and turning around. He crouches down, ready to pounce. Seeing a chance when one the humans takes a step back on the stone steps, he aggressively swipes at them. The man holding Kamui’s left arm lets go of the teen to avoid his strike. Kamui taking the opportunity to free himself from his other captor, not seeing the third man stretching his hand out to grab the teen’s garbs, if he hadn’t come between them.

He growls again and this time the humans run away and he gives chase to make sure that they leave these sacred grounds. After seeing the humans entering a car, he returns to his human’s side. The boy was sitting on the ground. Trembling from almost being kidnapped. He noses the teen’s cheek, managing to draw out a shaky smile and laugh from Kamui.

When he sees the boy stand up, he uses his head to nudge Kamui back towards the house. His instincts screaming at him. He makes his human take another shower and when Kamui is done, he tugs at the towel. Slightly hoping that it would fall down. But Kamui manages to hold onto it. Making him internally scowl as Kamui offers to follow him if he only stops trying to drag the towel off him.

He leads his violet-eyed human back to the latter’s bedroom. Now he lets his instincts take over and pounces on the teen. Rubbing his scent all over the boy’s skin. Marking Kamui as his. Finally letting go and do the things that he had wanted to do since the previous day.

Kamui squirms underneath him. He understands the teen’s embarrassment of being only in a towel but it was easier for his scent to cover Kamui if he rubs it directly on his skin. When he is done, he lets the teen scramble away from him, muttering about possessive predator cats as he dresses himself in casual clothes. A blush prettily decorating the youth’s face.

* * *

The panther stayed with Kamui for two weeks until its wounds healed. Kamui watches a little forlornly as his new friend disappears behind the greenery of the mountain forest. He is alone once again in this house with no one to wait for him when he comes back from school.

Maybe he really should consider adopting a pet?

* * *

Two months had passed since Kamui had found a freaking panther in his backyard and since it had left.

Currently so was Kamui wandering around a studio in Tokyo. Delivering his father’s forgotten bento.

During the Summer, ever since he had been in middle school, he would spend two weeks in Tokyo to spend a little more time with his father and work part-time at his agency in the office.

“Hey! What is a fan doing inside the studio?!” Kamui hears someone shout to a security guard. Then he confusedly sees them come towards him.

_‘What?’_ he thinks but decides to text his father to come and get him. It seems like this was going to be troublesome.

“What kind of business do you have at this place?” the guard, surprisingly, asks him politely instead of grabbing and hauling him outside. He lifts the bento box wrapped in a royal blue cloth.

“I’m delivering my father’s lunch since he forgot it at home.” He explains. He hears snickers come from behind the guard and sees a group of boys his age laughing at him.

“Hear that? Daddy’s little boy is delivering his lunch since he is such a goody two-shoes to his dear daddy!” One of them mocks him. Kamui almost scowls but changes it to indifference. But he doesn’t rise to the obvious bait to make him cause trouble.

The other teens of the group continues, not noticing the approaching shadow looming behind them. But the guard and Kamui do notice and the latter inwardly winces as this would probably set the boys’ — no matter how talented they were — progress backwards since they deliberately tried to cause trouble for someone. And that someone happened to be their boss’ son.

“If I may ask,” the boys stiffened as they heard the dangerous purr of their agency’s president and Japan’s top actor. “What are you saying to **my** son?”

The teens turn white when they hear what the man said. As do the security guard as he gawks at Kamui. Finally seeing the similarities between Kamui and his father.

“Y-your…” one teen with dyed blond hair starts.

“S-son…?” another with brown hair finished. All of them pale as papers as they realized just who they had been trying to pick on.

The president had for a long time been bragging about his cute son that he had to unfortunately leave, mostly, to his younger brother’s care in their ancestral home. No matter how much the president bragged about his son almost all day long. No one knew how the boy looked like, only that he was a teenager. 

“Dad.” Said son cut through the misery everyone were currently feeling in offending the most successful actor in Japan that had even appeared in Hollywood movies. “Let’s just go and eat. I’m hungry.”

The man seemed to do a one-eighty degrees change as he suddenly smiles warmly at his son. Jin grabs Kamui’s waist and excitedly leads his son to the studio where he is filming. Where his manager/friend/PA, Midoriya Mitsuki, was waiting for them.

Kamui sighs quietly in relief. Having avoided the danger of getting the idol unit fired. The group of teens feel their legs weaken as they collapse into a heap on the ground. Relieved of avoiding the danger of offending their boss. All thanks to the man’s son. Who they had harassed.

No one notices the person leaning on the wall behind a corner, languidly sipping on their beverage as they watched the father-son pair leave.

* * *

“Kamui-chan~! Say aa~h!” Said teen unconsciously opened his mouth as he reads his father’s script. Not noticing the awing around him as his father continuously feeds him food from Kamui’s bento box. His focus is completely on the script. Unconsciously memorizing its entirety. Building up the words and sentences to create a world behind his eyes.

“Jin. I think feeding your son at this age is considered creepy.” Mitsuki deadpans as he watched the father-son pair. His fingers slightly twitching in wanting to feed the teen himself. It was like watching a small animal getting fed.

“Kamui-chan doesn’t mind. So I don’t!” They both heard someone opening the studio door and was approaching the table where they were sitting and saw a familiar raven haired and green-eyed man enter the studio.

“Hello Jin-san, Mitsuki-san, it has been awhile.” The man bows after greeting them.

“Yo, Subaru-kun! It’s been a while since the last time you came into the office!” Jin greets his junior, who is also an actor supported by his agency. And offers the free chair beside his son, who he is still feeding since the teen was too concentrated in reading his script.

“Good day, Sumeragi-kun.” Mitsuki greeted the younger man. “Are you perhaps the surprise guest for this episode?”

“Yes, but I will also be appearing in a few more episodes. It will be a pleasure to work with you again.” The green-eyed actor then notices the teen beside him. He smiles at Kamui. “And who may this be?” He waits for the boy to answer but is surprised when it looks like the boy doesn’t look at him. Jin notices this and feeds Kamui another piece of the food on the table.

The actor watches in surprise as Kamui opens his mouth to eat it. Not even once taking his eyes off the pages that he is reading.

“This adorable cutie here is my son, Shirou Kamui. Please ignore his behavior for now. He always gets like this when he is focused at something and ignores everything and everyone else around him.” Jin explains. His attention is then caught by the director, who signals that she wants to talk to him. “Ah, Subaru-kun. If you could do me a favor, can you look after Kamui-chan? Mitsuki still has some work to do and has to leave soon and I can’t always be by his side as we film. You only have a few appearances today and none of them are with me, right?”

Subaru seemed to consider it for a few moments before conceding. Even if he thought that his boss was an ounce too overprotective.

“Alright.” He accepts. Both men left the younger ravens at the table and Subaru glances at the boy beside him. His eyes are then drawn to the chopsticks that Jin had used to feed Kamui with. Reaching for the wooden sticks, he picks them up and chooses an eggroll. He moves the food towards Kamui’s lips. Which unconsciously opens to let the food into his mouth.

Subaru watches in fascination as the teen continued to eat whatever he gave him until the food was finished. It was like watching a small animal eat.

It took Kamui another few minutes until he finished reading the script. He puts his arms in the air and stretches his spine and legs as he lifts them up. When he puts his limbs down, he turns to his right and his startled out of his mind when he sees a familiar color of green eyes watching him. One of the stools legs slips at his sudden motion and he is about to fall backwards when he is suddenly pulled forward and the chair is righted.

His hands find support on something firm but soft. Which he realizes is the person’s, who had been sitting beside him and saved him from falling down, biceps. He also recognized just **who** had saved him from falling down.

“T-thank you, Sumeragi-san.” Subaru smiles at the teen that he is holding, though inwardly he is frowning as he realizes something unpleasant to him.

“You’re welcome Kamui-kun.”

The use of his name surprises Kamui as he is quite sure this is the first time he has met the man in person despite knowing of him for years. Subaru sees the confusion painted all over the youth’s face.

“Your father introduced us while you were concentrated on reading the script.” The green-eyed actor explains. “Do you also want to become an actor?”

Kamui fidgets a little as he tries to organize his thoughts.

“I-I’m not sure…” he mumbles, “I-I like practicing with dad whenever he comes back home and brings a script back with him. But… I, for certain reasons, don’t really like attention.” Kamui’s encounters with Kuzushita had only made his fear of attention worse. He didn’t mind it whenever he helps out at the shrine since he mostly does the work behind the scenes. But if Kamui were to begin being an actor. Yeah, he is afraid that his fear will turn into a full-blown phobia.

Subaru frowns when he hears this. Kamui had seemed so normal when he saw the teen talking to that security guard but now it was clear that Kamui’s acting abilities comes out whenever he is somewhere uncomfortable to him.

Kamui doesn’t know why he said that to a person he had just met. But this honestly didn’t feel like his first meeting with this man. A picture of a powerful feline comes to his mind, but Kamui shakes his head. That panther cannot be this person. It was only their eyes that were similar.

“Kamui-kun?”

“S-sorry, Sumeragi-san…” a finger was pressed against his lips and violet eyes sees the emerald green eyes soften with warmth. Heat gathered in his cheeks at the sight.

“You can call me, Subaru, Kamui-kun.”

“O-okay… t-then Subaru…-san?” He adds a suffix the end of the actor’s man since it felt weird calling someone nine years older than himself without it. Still blushing.

_‘G-geez… is all actors this charming?’_

Both males felt something drill into their backs and both turned around only to see a smiling Jin with a black aura around him.

“Su~ba~ru~ku~n~!” the actor’s name was stretched out, “What are trying to do to my Kamui-chan?”

Subaru inwardly growls at Kamui’s father’s return. He had just managed to get the teen to be comfortable with him in his human form.

“Nothing in the way that you are probably imaging, Jin-san.” He says. Wishing that the one, who held his interest, didn’t have such an overprotective and doting father. It seemed to soothe the blue-eyed man’s nerves as he proceeded to hug his son.

“Kamui-chan, did you miss daddy?” Subaru had never seen his boss like this as the man rubs his cheek against his son’s. Who looked a little embarrassed but used to his father’s antics and extravagant ways of showing his affections towards him.

“Dad… could you not do this now?” Kamui asks his father. Who tightens his hold for a moment before letting Kamui go. He notices the look on his parent’s face and sighs. “Alright, what have you done this time?”

Jin has a sheepish smile on his face.

“Well, there happens to be a situation right now… one of the actresses seems to have been in an accident and can’t make it to the shooting today. And probably not for a while. I saw the measurements for her clothes and they are almost the same as yours.” He ignored the indignant squawk from Kamui over how he knew his three sizes. “This is quite an important scene and it can only be filmed today. So, please Kamui-chan! Can you take over her role? It is only for today!”

Kamui knew he could be as angry as he wanted at his father, but in the end he also knew he would give in to his father’s request.

“Alright. Just this time. Next time you will find another solution!” Kamui manages to say before he is kidnapped by the clothes stylist, hairdresser and the make-up artist.

Subaru watches Kamui disappearing behind the studio door and prays that the teen will survive. Even if he is curious over how Kamui will look like afterwards.

* * *

A girl with long shiny raven hair appears in the studio. She has white heeled boots on her feet and black leggings covering her legs. She was wearing a crimson skirt that reaches her knees. Tucked inside the skirt is a black, buttoned and sleeveless blouse. Over it was a white mid-riff jean-jacket.

Her bangs framed her heart-shaped face. Her eyelashes were layered once with mascara to make her full eyelashes even thicker and longer. On her top eyelids were a black line of eyeliner to enhance her big, cat-like eyes. Her skin was pale and there was a light brush of rouge on her cheekbones. Her lips full, pink and shiny with probably lip gloss.

Her hair was a wavy flow that reached the small of her back.

One of the thin wrists had a thin golden clock and the other had a leather bracelet on it. Around her slender neck was a golden heart necklace.

Subaru’s jaw almost falls open as he recognizes the violet eyes that looks like gems, the girl possesses.

“Kamui-kun…?” When the girl’s blush deepens, Subaru knew that it really was Kamui. He had thought that Kamui would look good as a girl the first time he saw the teen. But to think that Kamui would look this good hadn’t occurred to him, at least not until now that he had seen it.

“A-at least all those odd lessons dad gave me in the past are paying out now.” Kamui gives the man a shaky smile. Feeling very uncomfortable with the stares towards his persona.

An eyebrow rose at that. Subaru kind of wants to know what Jin had made Kamui do in the past. He is pretty sure that the older man had trained his own son to become an actor without the boy’s knowledge.

“What kind of things?” Kamui blushes at the question, which only make his curiosity grow.

“I-I would rather not tell.” Kamui admits. And waits until the director calls for him to explain what is expected of him and how she wants Kamui to act.

* * *

Everyone expected it to be a long day since the actress, that would have played an important scene today, had been in an accident that broke her leg. And now they had an inexperienced boy playing her part. Sure, the boy might be Jin’s son but he had no acting experience.

So they really didn’t have any good expectations from this.

When the scene where Kamui’s character finally enters the drama, every actor except Jin and Subaru, expected it to have several retakes. And now Kamui and Subaru’s first scene together starts.

_The girl runs inside the mansion and bumps into the tall raven. She temporarily rises her head. The man is shocked when he sees the tears running down her cheeks. Her eyes heartbroken. She pushes herself away from the man. A hand cupping her mouth as she tries to keep her sobs to herself. She disappears after climbing up the stairs._

“AND CUT!” the director yells. Snapping everyone in the study out of it. Surprise coloring their faces. They, professional actors and actresses had been spellbound by a sixteen-year-old’s acting. A boy who had no acting experience. They all felt a shiver travel through their spines.

This boy, if he ever truly enters the entertainment business, would be able to overtake all of them if he so wanted. That was how much raw talent and charisma he possessed.

* * *

After all the scenes where he has to appear in is over. Kamui comes back to himself and blinks slightly in confusion as he takes in his surroundings and recalls everything that has happened the past few hours.

He tries to locate his father, who looks quite irritated as he speaks to whoever is on the other side of the phone. Jin shuts the screen off and pinches the bridge of his nose.

“Dad?” Kamui approaches his father, who finally notices him and hugs his son.

“Sorry, Kamui-chan. But it seems like the media found out about that you are here in Tokyo. They are currently surrounding the building where the apartment is.” Jin grimaces as he explains the current situation. “If you still want to avoid the media’s attention, you will have to disguise yourself whenever you go out. You look a little too much like me so some people will be able to connect our relation.

Now Kamui-chan, I have asked Subaru-kun if you can stay with him whenever you are outside. Since if you are near either me or Mitsuki, people will recognize you as my son and chase you.” Kamui flinches and immediately shakes his head. No, he had enough nightmares of running away from the other students in his school.

“But if you are going to be near Subaru-kun, then you are going have to live with him while you’re in Tokyo.”

“What?” Kamui blanched when he heard that.

“Subaru-kun said he would only agree to it if you agree.”

Kamui thought about it. He really didn’t want to face the media. But he wasn’t sure about having to live together with a stranger. No matter how comfortable he felt around the man.

It was still the lesser evil of the two to him.

“I-if it is really fine with Subaru-san, I don’t mind…” Jin felt relief fill him at the choice. He fully knew of his son’s fear and was glad that the boy wouldn’t have a panic attack. He still remembers the first time Kamui had panicked when he had been surrounded by a lot of people even if his son no longer remembers the reason his fear had started.

“Alright, Mutsuki-kun will come by with your things later. Oh you should also change to another set of clothes. You will still have to be disguised as a girl to avoid any attention to your real self. The stylist already has another set prepared to you.”

Jin hugs his son good bye and watches as Kamui leaves the studio to change into another set of clothes. He turns and claps his junior’s shoulder.

“Please protect, Kamui-chan for me.” Subaru simply nods. His determination shown clearly in his eyes as he also steps out of the studio to go to the changing room that Kamui was currently in.

Somehow, so does Jin get this nagging feeling that he has given his son away to marry. But that is only his imagination. Right?

* * *

Subaru lead Kamui to the underground parking lot where his car was parked and let the boy climb into the passenger seat. Fortunately so was the windows tinted so people couldn’t easily see in. But just in case, Kamui had to duck his head down until they hit the road.

Kamui had been nodding off inside the car. This had been the first time he had acted in front of a lot of people, and now that it was only he and Subaru in the car; all tension had left him. He was jerked awake when he felt the car stop. He covered his mouth with his hand and yawned. Blinking his eyes to make the sleepiness go away.

“Where are we?” Subaru looks at his new, and temporarily, housemate.

“We are in the garage of my house. I live in the more rural parts, a little outside of Tokyo. I… have a certain condition that makes it impossible for me to be an actor full-time. So I work from home as a freelance illustrator. I’m lucky that Jin-san allows it and understands my condition.”

“Is it really alright for me to be here then?” Kamui didn’t want to make his new acquaintance’s condition worse by being here. Subaru noticed the worry the teen held for him and smiled at Kamui the same smile that had gotten him a pretty blush from his interest.

“Yes, it’s alright Kamui-kun. My condition is nothing that will worsen when I’m with someone. However, there is one rule that you must follow.” Kamui looks at Subaru, who gently grips his chin, the man all serious now. “You must never enter my bedroom without my permission. That is the only rule that I must ask you to follow.”

“Y-yes!” Kamui quickly agreed. Feeling his heart speeding up. _‘A-am I getting sick?’_ The moment Subaru lets go of his face, Kamui cups his hot cheeks. Not used to behaving like this in front of people he had just met. But to him it really feels like this isn’t the first time he has met the green-eyed actor in person.

_‘Maybe it’s because I have seen him act on television several times since I have been a child?’_ Kamui concluded that was the reason why he felt so comfortable around the older man. His eye color also helped with it as he was reminded of a protective, dangerous yet cuddly cat.

He lets the man help him climb out of the car since he’s wearing a skirt. Fortunately for Subaru, so is his garage connected to his house via a door. So they wouldn’t get seen.

For now so had the actor to get some clothes for Kamui to change into. The teen couldn’t wear the dark blue sailor uniform the whole time. Nor did Subaru think that Kamui would like to wear it any longer than he had to.

He gave Kamui house slippers meant for guests before guiding the boy to the living room. He then prepared tea for Kamui. He made sure that his new house guest was comfortable before going to his room in the back of the house to hunt for clothes that would fit the small teen.

About twenty minutes later, he came back with an old pair of loose cargo pants and a white button-up shirt. Kamui asked where the toilet was so he could change. Subaru directed him to it and Kamui changed from the sailor uniform to the clothes Subaru had given him.

When Kamui reappeared, Subaru could see despite searching for the smallest sizes of his clothes that he owned, the garments were still too big on Kamui. Who was unconsciously pouting as he had had to fold the pant legs and the shirt sleeves several times so that he wouldn’t trip and could properly hold things. But the clothes still drowned his form.

Subaru had to turn away to prevent himself from blushing, thinking that Kamui looked good in his clothes. It also made his other side purr in pleasure at the sight.

He then showed Kamui where the guest room was and told him that he could use anything he wanted in the house. Except for his work tools, of course.

The day ended anticlimactically, except for the fact that Kamui still hadn’t gotten his things.

* * *

Kamui had lived at Subaru’s house for two days already. And he had seen no sign of the supposed disease that the man suffered from.

On the contrary, so was the man as fit as a horse! While not overly muscular, so was Subaru all lean and smooth muscles. Which he had found out by accident as the guest room was on the second floor and Kamui had forgotten about that fact after the first night of sleeping in Subaru’s house. Kamui had been so sleepy that he had forgotten that he was currently on the second floor and had slipped on the top of the stairs. Since he hadn’t seen the lower step where the stairs began.

Kamui had only managed to mutter a soft “Eh?” before he was freefalling down. He had prepared himself of hitting the floor when his whole body instead hit something much softer and warmer than the cold hard wooden floor. Kamui had realized that he was lying on someone and opened his eyes to see pale skin underneath him. His eyes slowly trailed upwards and saw familiar green eyes look at him in worry.

“Are you alright, Kamui-kun?” Kamui then realized that he was lying on Subaru, a very undressed Subaru if the material of the rough towel against his stomach was any proof. He tried to scramble off the man only to notice the arms around him. Kamui blushed as he became aware of their position. He was straddling the man. Who was only clad in a towel. Who had saved Kamui as he had fallen down the staircase.

“I-I’m so sorry! I’m fine, but how about Subaru-san?! Are you fine? You aren’t in pain?” Subaru didn’t answer him but tightened his hold on the boy. Making Kamui fall back down on him. He took a large but quiet inhale of a scent that he had missed for the past two months. Happy that he had gotten to Kamui in the nick of time before his little human had gotten hurt.

“Subaru-san?”

“I’m fine, Kamui-kun. I’m just glad that you didn’t get hurt.”

Kamui still blushes as he recalls that incident. Still remembering the warm skin encasing him. He didn’t understand. Subaru’s behavior, scent, presence and warmth was all familiar to him. He curled into himself. Trying to shake his head off of such thoughts. It couldn’t be possible! He had just met the man!

_‘Alright! If it is like this the only thing I can do is ask Subaru-san if we have met before!’_ Kamui stood up from the bed he had been curled up on after changing into his pajama.

Mutsuki had arrived with his things the previous day and had ruffled the teen’s hair before wishing him luck. Noticing the possessive glare that had been directed at him. Leaving Kamui oblivious to what he meant by that.

Kamui made his way towards his host’s bedroom that is downstairs. And knocked on the door.

“Subaru-san? May I have moment of your time?” He calls out. Only to get startled when he hears a crash coming from the inside. His knocking became more frantic as worry clouds his mind. “Subaru-san! Subaru-san! Is everything alright?!” Kamui was just about to open the door when he was stilled by a shout.

“No! Don’t come inside! Leave!” Kamui is startled by the harsh shout and hears more crashing sounds. Kamui decides to disobey his current guardian’s wishes. And opens the door and closes it behind himself.

“Subaru-san?” he asks inside the dark room. The only source of light is from the moon outside. The sliding glass doors were open and the night breeze caused the floor-long white curtains to flow sideways.

The room is big as Kamui looks around and steps into the middle of the room. He hears something breaking underneath his slipper-clad foot. Looking down, Kamui notices that it is a glass cup. The whole room is a mess with some of the clothes and drawers have been thrown onto the floor. He could also see a standing lamp having slipped down beside an overturned armchair.

One of the walls was full of bookshelves and in the middle of it was a flat screened television. Some of the books had fallen down. Like someone had swiped them down from the shelf in pain.

Kamui wandered deeper inside until he stood a little over a meter from the open glass doors. The only thing that stopped him was a growl that came from behind the swaying curtains. He saw a silhouette behind it. He only managed to see a familiar pair of shining green of eyes before the black mass pounced on him. He fell to the floor with a painful crash and was about to raise himself up, but a warning growl prevented him from doing it. He looks up only to gasp when he sees a familiar feline on top of him.

“Kurō?” He had started to call the panther Kurō, thinking of the panther as the king of all black cats, right after the scenting session in his room. The jaguar was black and considered an apex-predator in its habitats. “W-what are you doing here? Where is Subaru-san? Do you know where he is? I need to find him. He sounded like he was in so much pain! Please, Kurō! Please let me go find him!” Kamui pleaded to his furry friend, who had stopped growling and let Kamui touch the side of his head.

But Kurō didn’t let Kamui go. Kamui yelps as the jaguar suddenly rips his pajama top, its eyes slit.

“Wh-what?! K- Kurō?! What are you doing?! This isn’t the time for you to rub your scent on me! And stop destroying my clothes!” Kamui tries to struggle underneath the adult jaguar that weighed almost the double of his own weight.

Kurō growled at him to stay still, but this time Kamui couldn’t. To him, his new friend was somewhere and hurting. The only thing he could think of is the painfilled tone of Subaru’s voice.

“Kurō! Stop! I have to go to Subaru-san! He is hurting right now!” The teen tries to buck his furry friend off of him but that also fails and soon so is all his strength sapped out of him. Kamui pants in exhaustion as he musters up a weak glare.

Kurō continues to scent him. Tears start to fall down from his eyes as he is unable to help his friend that is in pain. Then the impossible happens before his eyes. Kurō is surrounded by a black mist. The paws that are beside each side of his head turns into human hands. Violet eyes widen as they see the black fur recede back into skin and the claws turn into nails.

Kamui lets his gaze trail up the front-leg-turned-into-an-arm and gapes when he sees Subaru’s face. But this time so was the green eyes a shade lighter and shining with slit pupils.

“S-Subaru…san…?” Kamui’s voice is unsure as he tries to comprehend what he had just seen. He watches as the man lowers himself only to rub himself on Kamui’s skin just like he had done as when he was Kurō.

**“My Human.”** Kamui hears the man say before he feels the other’s weight slump down on him. Kamui instinctually circles his arms around the man. Who, he notices with a blush, is naked.

While struggling to get the unconscious male into the bed. His mind was still reeling from the revelation. Kurō is Subaru. Subaru is Kurō.

_‘Oh god!’_

* * *

Subaru wakes up as he hears the birds chirping. His whole body sore from the forced transformation from his other side that had wanted to go to his house guest and scent the boy. Since their smell had vanished from Kamui. Making his jaguar-self growl in dissatisfaction.

The werecat man is surprised when he sees that he is in his bed. Usually after a forceful transformation, he would wake up wherever he had collapsed in his other form. So finding himself in bed is a wonder.

He then notices his surroundings. His room is clean. Which is also quite unusual since Subaru is quite sure that he had thrown some of his books down and even turned over his armchair when the pain became unbearable.

But there is not a speckle of dust or disorder. The glass doors that connected to his backyard were even closed, where there was a forest behind it in case he needed to disappear so he wouldn’t hurt anyone.

Suddenly, memories of last night resurfaced. How Kamui had come and knocked on his door. His desperate shout for the teen to not enter. How he couldn’t hold back the transformation anymore. He remembers watching Kamui inspecting his room, searching for him. Then seeing him. Kamui’s surprise in seeing his jaguar form again. Kamui struggling underneath him, begging Kurō — as the teen had taken to call him when Subaru had stayed with Kamui — to let him go to search, well, for Subaru. Who was the one keeping Kamui down. He remembers how he had used his sharp teeth to rip Kamui’s pajama shirt to pieces.

How Kamui had stopped struggling so he could finally scent him as he had wanted to do ever since he head seen Kamui enter the studio when he had bought a can of black coffee from the vending machine. His cat-self had wanted to pounce on the teen even back then to greet his former caretaker.

He recalls Kamui’s crying face and inwardly winces. But his other-self had apparently also noticed and didn’t like it when their human was sad and had taken on Subaru’s appearance.

…

Goddamn. Subaru had some explanations to give to Kamui. This also explains why his room was so clean, Kamui must have cleaned it while he was unconscious. He groans. Really, he had wanted to deepen his relationship and the trust Kamui had in him before he showed Kamui his other self.

He sighs and grunts as he forces his tired body up. He doesn’t really feel embarrassed about being naked. But he does feel a bit guilty over having practically been a peaking at Kamui whenever the teen had changed clothes or took a bath after washing him.

Subaru stands up and prepares himself for the inevitable conversation that would take place between him and Kamui. He puts on a pair of drawstrings pants and a plain black t-shirt.

Inhaling deeply, Subaru opens his door. Only to hear a soft thud and an ow. He looks down and sees Kamui crouching down, holding his head. Subaru also went down to inspect the red mark on Kamui’s forehead.

“Kamui-kun! I’m so sorry! I didn’t know you were behind the door! Let me see that.” Subaru sees a small trail of blood coming from the wound and helps the teen to stand up and takes him to the living room so he could treat it.

After disinfecting the wound, Subaru put on a larger white band-aid on Kamui’s forehead.

“T-thank you…” he hears Kamui say softly. But he notices the clenched fist on the pants and that Kamui didn’t meet his eyes.

“Kamui-kun about last night…” He sees Kamui blush, and he can only hope that he didn’t do anything embarrassing after transforming back into a human. Since his memories were blurry after that.

“I… I didn’t do anything to you after transforming back, did I?” Subaru asks, dreading the answer.

Kamui mind inadvertently went back to the moment that Kurō had become Subaru and the man had leaned down and said ‘my human’ to him. Those two words had kept him awake the whole night as he cleaned Subaru’s room with the man fast asleep.

“N-no! I… I just remembered th-that you s-saw…” Subaru could finish that last sentence in his mind. He had after all witnessed Kamui having a wet dream and even climaxed from it. He had also bathed together with him as Kamui had no idea what Subaru is.

Subaru coughed to hide his embarrassment.

“You are a teen still in the middle of puberty. You are also a man. Those kind of dreams is unavoidable. As for the bathing… You thought that I was only an animal. If it helps so did I try to avoid looking at places that I shouldn’t look at.”

Kamui didn’t know if he should feel comforted about that or not. He still had mixed feelings about this man being Kurō. But it explained why he feels so comfortable with Subaru.

“S-Subaru-san…why are you able to transform into Kurō?” Kamui asks. Finally addressing the big elephant in the room. Subaru sighs as he explains why he is able to transform into a black jaguar.

“A long time ago, when one of my ancestors, accidently killed a cat ayakashi’s mate, we were cursed by that ayakashi. Since then someone from my clan gets cursed to for all of their life to transform into a beast. When that person dies the curse will move on to a child yet to be born. The curse will activate when the cursed person is about 7-9 years old.

The one cursed one will then get devoured more and more by the curse the older they get. They usually give in to their animal side to avoid the pain as they lose their minds and then remain in their beast form until they die. That usually happens in their late teens as puberty affects the curse. Or they die early because they lose their minds from the constant battle of wills against their animal side.

I was the one to get cursed after the previous cursed Sumeragi died.

Why I haven’t given in to the curse yet is because of my strong spiritual powers. Originally I was supposed to be the next head for my clan. But since I have this curse, all my powers go to preventing me from being swallowed by it. Which hindered my progress as an onmyouji. Automatically disqualifying me as the potential leader.”

_‘Wait. An onmyouji. The real head to his clan? His name is also **Sumeragi Subaru** …’ _

Kamui’s eyes widen as they finally recognize the man in front of him as a person who is in the middle of his society’s grapevine.

“Wait a second! You are that _Sumeragi Subaru_? The one that was rumored to become the strongest onmyouji of this era? But because of an old mistake it crippled your possibilities to become _that_ Sumeragi Clan’s next 13th Head?”

“So you have heard of me.” Subaru says wryly. Not that surprised that Kamui knew of him. The teen did live at Kyoto’s biggest shrine.

Kamui nodded.

“Sakuya-obaasan, your grandmother, often comes to visit the shrine. She has told me some things about you and your sister while we drank tea.”

The information seemed to surprise Subaru. His grandmother had never told him about meeting Kamui. And for them to be close enough for the teen to her Sakuya-obaasan. He would have a word with her later about what kind of things she has told Kamui about him.

Subaru scowled, he really hoped that his grandmother hadn’t told Kamui about all his embarrassing moments as a child as he was just starting to figure out his curse and shifting abilities.

“We are putting that conversation on hold for another time. But yes. I’m that Sumeragi Subaru.”

“Isn’t there a cure for the curse?” Kamui asks worriedly. He noticed that Subaru seemed slightly embarrassed.

“There is a way. As you know, since you have lived at your shrine since you were born, all people in the world has a soulmate. Romantic or platonic ones.” Kamui nodded. Many girls had come to their shrine and prayed to find their soulmates. Some guys too.

“And there is only a slim chance for us to meet our soulmate since they are one of 7 billion people of the world. There is less than 0.00000001 percent chance of meeting them. There is also no way of knowing who they are. Which makes this curse troublesome.

While I will live with my other side for the rest of my life and I will still be able to shift forms, the curse will disappear with me the day I die. I will also no longer be threatened to be swallowed by my other side. But that’s only if I find my soulmate and if we share a kiss of true love.”

“Can you find your soulmate?” Kamui asks. Curiosity clear in his voice.

“Yes. All of us that have been cursed are able to find our soulmate. The only problem is to meet them as the chance to happen upon them is quite slim. But we know who they are through our beast side. The beast will recognize our soulmate by feeling and smell alone. The soulmate possesses an enticing scent for that specific beast. They will also feel very protective over that person despite being in their animal form.”

“It almost sounds like you know who your soulmate is,” Kamui says off-handedly as he processes the information. This sounds like one of the romance novels that Subaru’s grandmother had recommended to him while they had afternoon tea when he was still a child. Not noticing the blush on his friend’s face.

Subaru clears his throat to stave off the embarrassment of explaining to Kamui the obvious that the teen had missed. Like why he had been so calm while being in his beast form and why he was so willing in spending time with Kamui.

“I have found him.” Kamui is startled by that and leans excitedly in towards Subaru.

“Really?! Who is it?” He didn’t care about that Subaru’s soulmate is male. Love is love. No matter the gender. He slightly deflates when he sees Subaru sighing heavily.

“I knew that you were dense. But I didn’t think you were this dense.”

“Eh?” Kamui tilts his head in confusion. Not understanding what Subaru meant by that.

“You do realize you spent time with me in my beast form for two weeks straight without getting a single scratch on you. I was even able to tell when you were in danger of being kidnapped — which we also will have a talk about. I even scented you.” Subaru was exasperated. He knew that Kamui had been protected by Jin, his uncle and the other occupants of the shrine from these kind of things. But not to this extent.

At least Kamui knew about shady offers when he heard one.

Subaru gave a pointed look at Kamui. Who finally seemed to get it.

“Eh? Me?” Kamui used his index finger to point at himself. “I-I’m your soulmate…?”

It took exactly five second for the information to sink in before Kamui turned a vermillion red. He then covered his face with his hands to prevent the older man to see his face. Kamui struggled to say something but he couldn’t get a word out. Too flustered to get a coherent thought out.

“It seems like I can have a little hope of you falling in love with me.” Subaru takes a hand that was covering Kamui’s face and kissed the knuckles. “I will also say this beforehand so we don’t have any misunderstandings. I was not attracted to you because you’re my soulmate. I like you, because despite it being dangerous, you were willing to take in a predator that could have killed you any moment. You let me stay with you, knowing that you would be in constant danger with a beast sleeping next to you.

You’re kind. But also unexpectedly innocent. Yet fierce and stubborn. You are almost not afraid of anything. You behave like you like being alone, but in reality you are just lonely since you have a hard time connecting with your peers. Or more like they don’t try to understand you. Underneath all that impassionate face, you’re all soft and caring.”

Subaru moved to kiss Kamui’s wrist. Kamui didn’t know if he could blush harder but he did. Silently wondering if Subaru knew what that kind of kiss meant.

Subaru notices his hesitance and assures him.

“Don’t worry, Kamui-kun. I only told you so that I can woo you to my heart’s content and make you fall in love with me. I’m a patient man. I will wait as long as I have to. Even if you ultimately do not fall for me, I will be by your side as a friend at the least. I won’t do anything you don’t like as long as I know that my love is one-sided.”

Kamui did feel a little comforted at that. Even if he still couldn’t understand why someone like Subaru would like someone like Kamui.

He decided to see how it would go between him and Subaru for the time being.


	2. Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kamui and Subaru continues to live together for a little while more. Subaru is kind of being a creep, but Kamui does notice but doesn't realize he should consider it creepy. Kurō is being a peeping tom despite Subaru's protests.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally so is the second chapter out!

It was the fourth day that Kamui was spending in his newly discovered soulmate’s house. It is morning and Kamui woke up to the feeling of something covering his waist. The teen turns to his side, snuggling into the warmth beside him.

_‘Wait…warmth?’_ Kamui blinks his eyes and sees pale collarbones directly in his line of sight. Slowly looking up, he sees the sleeping face of Subaru’s. His blushes when he realizes that the man is buck naked and holding Kamui flush towards his own body. Unconsciously still cuddling him in his sleep.

He lets out an internal scream in surprise and somehow manages to loosen himself from Subaru’s hold as his back hits the wall the bed was against. Holding the blanket like it is a lifeline.

Subaru shows signs of awakening and Kamui watches as the man’s eyelids slowly opens, revealing the color of sleep-hazed emerald ones. They blink once, then twice to chase away the residue of sleep that still clung onto them as they took in the scared form of the teen. Subaru thought that Kamui looked like a scared kitten with the way his now very wide eyes were looking at him in surprise.

Subaru blinks once more. Starting to comprehend the situation. He mentally reprimanded his other side for sneaking into Kamui’s room and into the teen’s bed without permisssion.

“Sorry, Kamui-kun. It seems like my other-self decided to sneak inside your room since he missed you immensely.”

Kamui nodded and felt his face going hotter when he saw how unbothered the other male was with his own nakedness. But from their conversation the previous day. Kamui had understood that Subaru had often found himself bare after a transformation wherever he woke up. Which had made Subaru quite comfortable in his own skin and it showed in the few gravure shots that Kamui had seen from the magazines that his father brought back home.

“I-it’s alright! I was just surprised!” Kamui wasn’t used to waking up seeing another person’s face that wasn’t a family member. Animals were another thing for him since he has a habit of picking up strays until he finds a home for them or they are ready to return to the nature after they have healed from their wounds and can manages to scavenge for its own food.

Kamui feels his heartbeat picking up when Subaru smiles at him. Keeping his eyes on Subaru’s face, preventing himself of letting his gaze trail and accidently see something he shouldn’t. Subaru, meanwhile, told him that he would prevent his other-self from sneaking inside Kamui’s room while Kamui was desperately trying to keep his gaze upwards.

But the next day, and the day after that, Kamui woke up in the same position with Subaru holding him.

So the seventh day at his stay in Subaru’s home in the evening. Kamui locked his borrowed bedroom’s door. Only to wake up in the middle of the night to hear scraping against the wooden door and the saddest mewls that he had ever heard coming from any animal. Even sadder than the ones he has heard from all the animals he has taken in before.

Kamui climbed off the bed and unlocked the door. The moment he opened it, he saw the downcast head and ears, the jaguar’s thick tail lying flat on the floor, lifeless. The cat looked so sad and looked up at him with the biggest eyes he had ever seen on its face and giving him a pleading mewl. Kamui sighs. Subaru was right when he said that Kamui was a big softie.

“Alright you big cat, come on in.” Kamui opens the door wider and lets the big feline inside. Kurou gives him an affectionate rub before nudging him back into bed. Crawling under the blankets together with Kamui. Kamui felt the coarse tongue groom his hair and sighed. It seems like had to wash his hair tomorrow morning.

But despite waking up in the middle night, he had a much easier time falling asleep than he had earlier. Soothed by Kurō’s soft purring.

* * *

Kurō continues to gently groom his human’s hair even as Kamui falls asleep. Affectionately rubbing the long locks with his head. His human-self is also asleep and that’s how he is able to take control of their body and get inside the den that their soulmate is sleeping in.

But when he found that the door was locked, he started to gently scratch at the wooden door. Not wanting his human-self to reprimand him for destroying the house again. He also let out several cries. Hoping that his human would come and let him in.

When he hears the familiar light steps of his human, Kurō makes sure that he has the saddest appearance that he possessed so he could sway his soft mate’s heart and will. As expected, Kamui let him inside and even under the covers.

Even if Kurō wanted already to mate with his kitten, as his human-self has taken to call the teen inside his mind, Kurou’s other side had hammered it into him that they would scare away Kamui if they came on too strongly. His human-self telling him to treat Kamui as a scared cub for the meantime. To let Kamui grow comfortable around them until he is ready to take the next step.

The boy was already more comfortable around Kurō since he is an animal. Which made the jaguar purr in pleasure. His human-self had to work a little harder to make Kamui fall in love with him. But unlike his other-self, Kurō was able to see the small signs of affection Kamui let out towards Subaru.

Now he only needed to be patient enough and satisfy himself with the cuddles that only he would get. Since the boy was still too shy towards his other-self.

Unfortunately, so didn’t he possess his human-self’s saint-like patience. His being the complete opposite to it.

* * *

It had been eight days since Kamui had come to live at Subaru’s place. And currently he was doing his summer homework under Subaru’s tutelage. The man had apparently attended Kyoto University via online courses, studying Art with double minors in Business & Management and Politics. The first one had been needed because he was a freelance artist. And if Subaru ever got this curse removed so it wouldn’t swallow him and hinder his spiritual powers, he would be reinstated as the next head of his family. That’s why Subaru had learned the basics of politics and then built his knowledge up by himself with some help from his grandmother.

The green-eyed raven had also been an honor student while in high school. Even if he had a lot of absences because of his curse, actor or model work. Subaru had coped with it. And acting like another person had apparently also helped a lot with the helplessness Subaru had felt with his curse. As did drawing.

Right now Kamui was nervously waiting for the older male to finish inspecting his homework to make sure that he has understood what he has written and gotten the context down.

“Not bad. I knew it before, but you really take your studies seriously. You have a large knowledge of history, classical literature, modern literature, music, art and languages. Though you are still a little weak in the natural sciences. Your math is a little lacking which affects your physics and chemistry calculations. Your knowledge of biology is quite high. More than what they teach in high school.

You’re quite good in ecology, biodiversity, and surprisingly in genetics and anatomy.”

Kamui blushed at the praise. Not used to anyone except his family and cousin praising him. Since his school never posted up the results on who got the overall best scores since Nokoru banned it to not demoralize the other students. That’s why no one but his teachers, family and closest friends knew that he actually was actually a good student. And not a lazy delinquent though he does often daydream through his classes.

“I did a lot of research on how to help all the stray animals I pick up. I also know a lot of the human body from my uncle since he used to be a doctor until something happened in the hospital he worked in and he decided to take over the family business. He taught me a lot of things by making his knowledge into children games.”

Subaru thought that was quite a good way to teach children so the knowledge remained in their long-term memory. He then began to explain what Kamui needed to know to improve his homework.

The actor really liked the focused face of his soulmate. Especially when Kamui was too concentrated and forgot about the most basic things, like eating. He had tried to feed Kamui what the teen disliked the most; carrots, while being in his concentrated state. Kamui had eaten them without any problems and had even wondered when he was done why his mouth tasted so funnily.

Subaru had chuckled in amusement at that.

He returned his attention to the script in his hand. He didn’t have Kamui’s impressive memory and couldn’t memorize the whole script by reading it once and act out the character without making several notes about it. He was the intellectual type of an actor. The direct opposite of Kamui. Who was the type of actor that could act without thinking and get into the character and automatically continue to develope it as he acted.

Subaru had to think through every kind of action he did and how he could draw in the attention of the public with small gestures and actions. He still put his feelings into the act. Recently, so had his acting also improved, at least according to Jin. He was less stiff and put more life into his characters. He was considered to be a good actor, one of the best actually with a long list of experience. He could also have reached the top of his generation if it hadn’t been for his condition.

Subaru was focused enough on his script that he didn’t notice the glances cast towards him from Kamui.

Kamui still had a hard time believing that this man is his soulmate. Even if he knew about it, he couldn’t help but be drawn towards the man, but not because Subaru is his soulmate. Though that fact did play a part of the reasons.

Kamui kept noticing all small and new details about the older man. All his small quirks that indicated that he would do something. Like when Subaru is nervous his left ear twitches slightly. Or when Subaru is preventing himself from laughing he moves slightly more to the right. Or when he doesn’t like something, he tries to hide it with a polite smile. But his eyes darkens a little in frustration or anger.

Sometimes Kamui had found himself wondering how it would feel like being hugged by the man. Not counting the loose hold he always woke up to nowadays. He had no illusions of how the man’s body looked like. Knowing fully well how the pale body looked like without clothes. He unconsciously turns red as he recalls exactly how well-endowed the man is when he had accidentally walked into the bathroom still a bit half-asleep while Subaru was showering after his early morning run.

“Kamui-kun? Is something the matter? You’re red.” The concerned voice brings Kamui back to earth, and his flush deepens as his eyes focus on the real person he had been thinking about.

“No! Nothing is wrong! I should be finished with my homework soon!” He hastily went back to focus on his school work. Trying to not let his thoughts to wander off again.

Subaru is confused by Kamui’s behavior but lets it go. He still doesn’t know his soulmate that well yet to know why Kamui behaved a certain way.

* * *

Kamui looks at himself in the tall mirror that is inside his borrowed room. He is only wearing boxer-briefs as he critically looks over his own body. His left hand touching the cold reflection.

He sighs. He can only see a scrawny teenager reflected in the glass. His limbs are thin. His muscles undefined despite being quite athletic. Kamui thinks that his thighs are too soft. His waist is also slender. His lips are a soft pink and full. His eyelashes thick and long. His facial features are soft, boyish, a bit effeminate. Which is a good thing when he recalls last week’s incident. He is also not as well-endowed as the green-eyed actor.

He can’t see how Subaru can be physically attracted to him. Thinking that he looks too young to have any ability to keep the adult man’s attraction. 

Another sigh leaves his lips.

“You know, there’s a saying that every time one sighs, a little bit of happiness escapes them.” Kamui hears come from behind him and a blush covers his face as he sees the familiar figure though the mirror. Watching him with intense eyes.

His eyes follows the form of Subaru’s as the man walks up behind him. When he sees that Subaru is standing right behind him, he notices that those usually emerald green colored irises are brighter than usual and the pupils smaller. Slit like a cat’s. He can just watch as Subaru makes him face himself in the mirror again. Seeing the hands sweep his bangs back.

Subaru had knocked on the door of the guest room. He was worried over how Kamui had behaved earlier and wanted to confirm if the boy was alright. When he didn’t get an answer, he opens the door slightly.

Surprise colors his face as he sees Kamui facing the mirror. Looking at himself. And letting out a disappointed sigh. Can’t Kamui see how beautiful he is?

He fully opens the door now and tells Kamui about that a little happiness escapes with every sigh and walks up behind the teen. Kamui is about to turn around and face him but he makes the teen turn back to the mirror and swipes the long bangs backwards. Revealing the usually half-hidden face. His free hand is gripping the bare waist.

“First your hair is as soft as silk and it feels good to run one’s fingers through it. Then your eyes. Do you know that your eyes shifts looking like tanzanite one moment and then they sometimes even look like amethysts. They make one thinking that no gemstone is comparable to your eyes. Not with their mysterious and ever changing shade from blue to purple. Did you know that while your eyes are mostly purple violets, they have several flecks of blue inside them? Did you know when the sun hits your eyes the two colors dances inside your irises, entrancing everyone around you? Making them see other galaxies hidden inside them.”

Subaru’s hand moves down to caress a supple cheek, that is flaring red as Kamui’s eyes are unable to move away from his through the mirror. He can feel the other hand’s thumb rub circles on the side of his back where it was placed on his waist.

“Your face is beautiful Kamui-kun. Your face is still soft lines and your effeminate features makes it hard for people to tell if you’re a boy or a girl. But that is an advantage in the entertainment world since it enables you to act out even more roles. Do you know how cute it is when you blush? The red color contrasting perfectly with your skin. Just like your hair and eyes.

Your body is still only soft muscles, but your arms and legs are long, which is perfect for modeling. Your hands are soft despite the archery you do. Your fingers long, slim and dexterous from your training as the heir to the Shirou Shrine.

Your skin is pale and fair enough to make any woman and man envious. It is also smooth and soft. I honestly feel like if someone were to touch it even a little roughly, it would break like a delicate china. Your waist is slender. Making it easier for you to dress in any sort of clothes.”

Kamui could feel his cheeks, ears, neck and down to his shoulders burn with embarrassment. Subaru’s touch, his words, everything of the man was like sensuous whispers that reached deep inside him.

“S-Subaru-san…” the whisper broke Subaru out of the trance he had put himself into. His eyes looked towards the mirror and couldn’t help but think that he and Kamui fit so well together.

He wanted to touch this angelic looking boy. But at the same time he was afraid that his touch would defile Kamui. That Kamui would be dirtied. But it was also tempting. The idea of Kamui only knowing his touches and to only be held by Subaru. Only knowing of the things that Subaru had taught him.

However, it still was not the right time yet. He silently reigned in his yearning and passion for his soulmate that was currently so pliant and trusting inside his arms. Subaru lets go of Kamui, with much reluctance that doesn’t show on his face. Though, he allows himself to place a soft kiss on the soft, black locks.

“The bath is ready now. I still have some work to do, so you can go and take a bath first.” Subaru then exits the room, taking deep steady breaths to control himself. He had been so near to kiss Kamui on the lips. Which he couldn’t do yet.

Not with Kamui not knowing what he feels for Subaru.

* * *

The moment Subaru steps outside the room and the door is closed, Kamui feels his legs go soft and he sinks down on the floor. His face and body burning. He hugs himself, wondering how the man had such much power over him.

Subaru’s words felt like caresses that had wandered all over his body.

Kamui looks at himself in the mirror again. This time Subaru’s words echoing through his ears. Now he only sees the things that Subaru had told him about. He can feel trembles traveling through him. Another kind of heat now coursing inside him.

Slowly he stands up again when the strength returns to his legs. He gathers his bathing supplies and a change of clothes.

When Kamui enters the bathroom he makes sure to clean himself before entering the hot bathwater. He tries to not touch himself unless it was for washing.

His mind is in a turmoil. He can still feel Subaru’s warmth behind him despite being engulfed by the heated water.

Kamui thinks that Subaru is dangerous. Not counting that the man was able to transform into a black jaguar. But dangerous in how he could affect Kamui with his words alone.

Sumeragi Subaru is dangerous and will definitely change his life the more he interacts with the older male.

Kamui still doesn’t know what the man is to him. He knows that Subaru is his soulmate. But that cannot be the reason why he feels like this. Why is only Subaru capable of making him feel like this? He tried to imagine someone else saying and doing the same things that Subaru had said and done. A shudder of disgust shoots up his spine immediately at the thought.

No, Kamui wouldn’t be reacting like this if it wasn’t the green-eyed shifter. Kamui could only feel like this because it was Subaru who had done all those things.

_‘What a fearsome man. But… I still don’t want Subaru to stop interacting with me… I still want to understand this unusual fascination I have of him…’_

* * *

Subaru was panting hard as he finished. But it still was in vain as he still could feel the heat inside himself. He could still see his soulmate pliant underneath his hands. How easy it would have been to have his way with Kamui.

This was the first time Subaru had touched Kamui’s body, intentionally, in his human form. Feeling the smoothness of his soulmate’s skin underneath his callused hands. It had also been the first time he had seen Kamui’s mostly bare body as a human. How much smaller Kamui was than him. Slimmer and thinner. Softer in general.

Subaru’s breathing became harder as he continued.

He ran another few miles. Using his lust and arousal for his soulmate as an energy booster to run faster through the forest behind his backyard.

When he arrived back to his house, his black running shirt and shorts were drenched in sweat. He took off his shoes at the porch and entered his bedroom and went straight to the kitchen to drink a glass of water before he would start stretching. Subaru had just finished stretching when he saw Kamui come in.

They both froze.

Kamui in the doorway and Subaru where he had been leaning on the kitchen counter as he had gone for another glass of water. The one who broke the silence was Kamui.

“D-did you go out for a run?” Kamui asks as he noticed the man’s sweaty running clothes.

“Y-yeah. Because of the curse I sometimes feel the need to run so I’m not so prone to go hunting later. The forest behind is the perfect course for both my human and jaguar form since the trees and bushes obscures people’s sight from the outside.” Subaru explains. Silently cursing himself for stuttering.

“O-oh…”

The awkward silence continued and Subaru could hear his other-side snidely and in amusement ask him what happened to being patient and careful.

* * *

_Kamui is on a familiar bed. It was the same dream he had had the first time he encountered Subaru, who had been Kurō at the time. But this time he wasn’t lying on his back, but on his hands and knees. His lover and he had just finished an intense round of lovemaking and he could feel how his partner’s manhood was still stuck inside him, leaning his bigger body over his._

_He knew that his lover wouldn’t be able to pull out until later and they were stuck in that position for a while. His passage being filled and Kamui could feel his own cock starting to harden again in reaction to it. His lover rocked inside him, making sure to grind against his prostate as another hand reached around him to fist his arousal._

_A whimper escaped him as blood fills his manhood. He had just ejaculated so the touch is slightly painful just as it was arousing on his sensitive shaft. His prostate battered from the earlier thrusts._

_He hears his lover moan as the last spurt of semen fills him and he feels his lover’s arousal shrinking, just as Kamui climaxes. Kamui screams in pleasure as he comes dry the very next moment. Slumping down on the dirty sheets. His breath heavy as he tries to come down from the high._

_Kamui can feel his lover’s intense eyes on him. His blush deepening as he feels his lover’s cum drip out of him because it had overflooded his insides. Fingers trail upwards his perineum and up his crack. Pushing some of the escaping semen back inside him. Kamui mewls as the finger rubs at the oversensitive bundle of nerves inside him. His whole body trembling._

_Hands reaching down to his hips and Kamui lets himself get turned around to face his lover. His feverish eyes are met with shining green ones as the other swoops down and claims his lips._

Kamui jerks awake as he hears knocking on the door.

“Kamui-kun? Are you okay? I heard you screaming!” Kamui felt the burn of his face as he realized what kind of scream he had let out.

“I-I’m ‘ine!” he shouts loud enough for the man to hear, hoping that Subaru’s sense of smell wasn’t strong enough so that the man’s nose could tell exactly why he had been so loud.

“Are you sure?” Kamui can hear the muffled and worried tone from the other side of the door. He is about to nod when he remembers that Subaru can’t see him.

“I’m sure!” he said out loud enough for his host to hear. He hears Subaru giving him a quiet ‘okay’ before Kamui hears the other walking down the stairs and curls up, wincing when he feels the wet material of his pajama pants cling to him as he had slept without any underwear. Which had been a mistake as he stands up and shimmies out of them. Careful in not letting his release escape the garment. His semen already drying on his skin.

Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, Kamui winces as it shows that it is a little past midnight. He wants to wash his pajama pants and the sheets to erase all proof of his dream as he now recognized who he had dreamed of. But both those dreams had felt so real. Like he had truly experienced them.

But did that mean that he would fall in love with Subaru? Sure, Kamui wanted to help the man with his curse. But he had no idea what love is. He did like Subaru. That much he can admit. But he doesn’t know if these feelings are love. Now at least he knew that he was physically attracted to the man.

Kamui strips the sheets off of his borrowed bed and quietly opens the door. His steps are soft and silent as he sneaks down the stairs and down to the washroom. Never noticing the slit eyes following his movements.

* * *

Subaru had just transformed to Kurō when he heard Kamui come down the stairs. The shadows naturally hid his form from sight and he erased his own presence. He still didn’t know why Kamui had screamed earlier, but he realized why the moment he saw his soulmate step down from the last step of the staircase.

The teen was holding a bundle of sheets, but what drew his attention was the fact that he could see that Kamui wasn’t wearing the pajama pants he had worn earlier while Subaru had come back from his run. No, he wasn’t wearing anything. The strong smell of musk also reached his nostrils. In the dark his eyes could see everything as clearly as if the lights were still on. He traced the smell coming from between those pale thighs and slightly from the sheets too. His was tail starting to sway as he realized what the smell was.

And why Kamui had screamed earlier.

* * *

Kamui was happy that there was a water handle and a drain inside the washroom after he had put his dirty sheets and garments inside the washing machine. Glad that Subaru had told him that he could use anything in the house.

He took off his pajama top and used the handle to wash away the evidence of his dream. He watched the fluids drain away and shivered.

Turning around, he looked behind himself. But nothing was there.

_‘Was is my imagination?’_ Kamui thought as he dried himself and put his top back on. Hoping that neither Subaru, or if the man had already transformed, or Kurō were still awake.

Kamui waited until the sheets were done washing and hung them up. He could let them dry in peace since he knew that Subaru had just washed his own laundry just yesterday.

He was just about to sneak back to the guest room when he inadvertently turned to walk deeper into the house until he reached a door that was ajar. He peaked inside and saw the lump underneath the sheets.

Kamui didn’t know why, but he couldn’t stop himself from approaching the bed and then crawl underneath the sheets. Shifting closer to the, expectedly, unclothed back, seeking out the familiar warmth that he had come to know and be familiar with this past week.

Sleep pulled him in and Kamui fell into a new dream that was full of a kindness and warmth.

* * *

Subaru can honestly say that he almost had a heart-attack when he woke up.

After seeing Kamui sneak into the washing room, Subaru had returned to his own bedroom as soon as had managed to convince his other-side that no, they couldn’t follow after Kamui when Kurō had sneaked a peek at what their soulmate was doing. Sure they both had seen Kamui naked before, but this time the boy looked more sensual than usual. Like he had transformed overnight.

Subaru had renewed his insistence in letting the boy be. Kamui wouldn’t be happy if they entered his bedroom while knowing that the younger male had had a wet dream. It would make the awkwardness between Subaru and Kamui only worse.

He had fallen asleep immediately when his head had hit his pillow. The mental exhaustion and the physical extortion from his run having had drained his energy.

Because of that he never noticed Kamui sneaking into his bed during the night. It was cute, even if it had startled him when he woke up. But that wasn’t the only reason why Subaru was slightly panicking. Kamui had come straight to Subaru’s bed after the teen had sneaked into the washroom. So Kamui was still only dressed in his sleeping shirt. Which revealed the sides of the pale thighs.

The buttons had also come undone during the night. The shirt teasingly hiding the most private parts and a part of Kamui’s chest. The younger raven head was using Subaru’s arm as a pillow as Kamui was slightly curled up while lying on his side. The hands were lightly fisted and pressed against Subaru’s chest. The man had no illusion that they would have been fisted into his shirt if he had worn one.

His other arm was slung over Kamui’s waist and Subaru unconsciously flexed his hand. Blushing when he realized that he was practically groping the bare behind underneath the pajama shirt. Causing Kamui to shuffle closer to him. This was one of the few times that Subaru was happy that he had decided to at least wear some sleeping pants for once when he transformed back to a human. Otherwise so would this position have been more extremely awkward to wake up to.

Subaru gave slightly in to temptation and kissed Kamui near the corner of his mouth. He wasn’t low enough to steal the teen’s first kiss while the other was unconscious. Then he got out of the bed and covered Kamui with the blanket. To hide away the temptation from his sight and to make sure that his soulmate wouldn’t catch a cold despite it being Summer.

* * *

Kamui woke up due to his growling and the delicious smell from the kitchen. Groggily he opened his eyes. Confused over where he is before hearing a knock. He turns toward the sound and sees Subaru standing at the doorframe with a soft smile.

“Breakfast is ready. Do you want to eat at the table or do you want me to bring it to you?”

His sleepy mind was still not functioning properly as he stood up. Walking unsteadily up to the man and gave him a hug before staggering to the kitchen. Never noticing the flustered male that had a very hard time keeping his face straight and to not let his eyes wander lower than Kamui’s shoulders if he didn’t want to cause a nosebleed to himself.

It wasn’t until a little later and after a cup of coffee that Kamui was starting to feel like a proper human being. Now, that Kamui had caffeine flowing inside his bloodstream, he finally noticed the state of dress he is in. Kamui immediately closed his legs as a blush surfaced on his face. Even if he knew that Subaru had already seen him naked, and vice-versa, he still hoped he hadn’t flashed anything.

He then recalled how he had ended up in Subaru’s bed. Or more precisely, why he had been downstairs in the first place.

“S-sorry for coming into your room during the night…” Kamui tried not to think of last night’s dream. Hoping that Subaru had no idea why Kamui had sneaked inside the covers. He had gotten used to sleeping beside someone during his stay here and now he found comfort by being next to his host.

“Don’t worry about it, Kamui-kun,” Subaru smiles, “And you do realize I do the same as Kurō, you do wake up when it is me. I have to admit it was a surprise when I woke up, but I was rather happy that you sought me out by yourself for once.”

“Are all actors this smooth…?” Kamui mumbled in a quiet voice so that the other wouldn’t hear him and to hide his flushing face. But Subaru heard him clearly.

“Some, yes. But I’m only this smooth with you. Or I only flirt with you in the first place.”

The admittance made Kamui drop his chopsticks and his blush traveling up to his ears. Silently spluttering inside his head over how the hell Subaru was able say that to a male younger than him by nine years without feeling any embarrassment over his own words.

After they finished breakfast, Kamui asked if Subaru could close his eyes while Kamui stood up. Doing as he was asked Subaru closed his eyes and almost opened them when he felt lips touch his cheek and then heard Kamui’s rapid footsteps disappear to the upper floor.

Subaru lifted his hand to touch the kissed cheek, feeling how new hope filled him as it was possible that Kamui was starting to feel something towards him. Something more than friendship.

He cleaned up the dishes absentmindedly as he replayed the sweet kiss from Kamui. His head in the clouds.

At least until he got a call from Mitsuki. Reminding him that he had a shoot today, he was also told to bring Kamui with him. Of course in a disguise.

* * *

Kamui had his eyes closed and tilted upwards so Subaru could finish the final touches of the make-up on his face. He didn’t know if it really was necessary for him to cross-dress again or if his father just wanted to see him in them. But if it would take the media attention away from his real appearance, then he would rather dress like a girl.

He just hoped it wouldn’t come back and bite him later.

He also realized that the green-eyed man was way too good with make-up. But Kamui reasoned it with Subaru being an illustrator made him have a good eye for colors, design and it made him into a very good make-up artist, apparently.

* * *

Subaru’s grip on his canned coffee tightened when he saw another person come up and asked his soulmate out for a cup of coffee. He watched how Kamui turned down the offer. Inwardly pleased that the teen wanted rather to be by his side than to going somewhere with someone else.

But he couldn’t show any form of possession nor inclination of what his true feelings for Kamui are. Not if he wanted to get arrested for statutory rape or get an overprotective father on his case. He had already crossed the line by touching Kamui the day before.

But knowing what could happen in the future didn’t stop these feelings of love that had started to grow bigger everyday since that day in May when he had seen Kamui again.

Kamui didn’t know, no, the teen didn’t remember is more like it. But he and Kamui had met once before. Kamui had been a little over a year old at the time and Subaru had been ten. It had happened just after Jin’s wife, Kamui’s mother, Shirou Tohru had died.

He, his grandmother and twin sister had gone to the temple to pay their respects to the recently passed away Shirou matriarch. Subaru had just gone to the toilet when he felt an immeasurable pain invading his body.

As a ten-year-old, feeling and hearing his bones crack and deform by themselves had been a horrible and quite scary experience. He hadn’t even been able to cry out in pain because of the suddenness.

That had been the first time since the curse activated that Subaru had fully transformed into a jaguar. And not partially. Like his hands and feet turning into paws. His eyes changing forms. Or suddenly popping out a thick tail and black ears. Or starting to act very cat-like.

He had been so scared that he had ran away. Getting lost in the maze of corridors and out into the gardens. Hiding underneath a bush. What had drawn him out had been the cry of a small child.

Back then, Subaru hadn’t known why he had followed the wail until he had come upon a slightly isolated house inside the shrine’s grounds. He located the cry and walked cautiously into the backyard with his now furry, four legs. There he saw a small bundle inside a make-shift babynest and where the source of the sound came from. In his jaguar form, that was as old as a small cub, he had carefully walked up to it and peeked inside.

To his surprise so did his cat shifted eyes meet with wide, doe-like and teary violet orbs. That immediately changed into curiosity at his appearance. He was startled when a small hand reached up to him touched his head. The baby smiling now gurgling incoherently at his appearance. Subaru didn’t know why but he let the small baby continue to pat him patiently before also climbing into the nest and the baby snuggled closer to his slightly bigger body, seeking out his warmth.

For the first time in three years, Subaru felt at peace with his curse as he took a nap with the small child. It was the first time he had felt the need to protect someone from the bottom of his heart as he curled around the baby. Like his small cub form could hide this child’s existence from the world and protect this curious child.

Not knowing that his grandmother had found him like that and later brought him back to their own mansion while he still had been in his jaguar form.

Subaru had planned to see the child again. But he couldn’t do it since he had to be confined to the mansion since the curse had made him transform for the first time. It took a lot of time for him to get even outside and then leave the clan’s compounds and live in Tokyo. By then five years had already gone by.

Subaru had felt… angry and cheated by his own clan. He had been confined and isolated for years and the more days that passed the angrier he became. At least until he had met Jin and poured his anger and other emotions into his acting. But then his curse got even stronger and Subaru had to quit acting full-time.

Jin had understood that he had been cursed since the man also came from an old family that had ties to the supernatural society. Though Jin hadn’t been born with strong spiritual powers like his younger brother and son. The man still understood the plight that Subaru was going through even if he didn’t know the curse’s specifics. So he let Subaru take on acting jobs whenever the younger man could. He also recommended Subaru to draw and paint out his feelings. And if that didn’t help, work-out his frustrations or something that would help him express his restrained feelings of constriction and isolation.

The suggestions did help a lot. Especially since Subaru was taking online courses for the nearest high school in his vicinity and only had to appear when he needed to write tests and exams. So he didn’t meet a lot of people in his adolescent years except for work purposes.

So when he returned back to Kyoto for the first time in years, he could feel his curse take over suddenly. He had run away from the train station. Leaving his baggage there for his sister to pick up as he desperately searched for a place to hide. To his luck, a park was near and he had hid there as his transformation occurred. Unfortunately, so did someone see his jaguar form and called animal control. Which is why his back leg got hurt as they had tried to shoot tranquilizer darts into him, one happened to get too close to him and it had slashed at his leg.

The chase went on for several hours and Subaru had to take cover, hide and sneak away several times. At least until he lost the humans and entered a somewhat familiar mountain. It wasn’t until he reached the familiar house that he remembered that he had been there before about fifteen years ago.

He had limped towards the only hiding place where no one would know where he was if he didn’t make too much noise until he recovered or managed to contact his sister or grandmother. It had even been a tight squeeze to get under the wooden porch and into the shadows that would hide his dark form the best.

He didn’t know how long he had been there when he heard the sound of grass being crushed underneath rubbery soles. Soon black sneakers with dark blue linings entered his line of sight, his whole body tensing in an instinctual fight-or-flight response. Oddly enough, so didn’t his instincts scream at him to attack or hide from this person. Subaru had relaxed a bit too much so his still uninjured paw’s claws happened to scratch on the ground at the spot he was lying on.

The shifter cursed his own luck when he heard the person above him starting to move and saw them getting off the porch and bend down. Making coaxing sounds to entice cats to come out. Well, small domestic cats. Not big cats like him.

So when the person fully entered his line of sight, both of them froze. Though, Subaru was able to hide it and recognized the _‘Oh fuck! What have I gotten into this time?!’_ expression on the teen’s face. Whose eyes looked very familiar and it took Subaru a few minutes until he recognized the boy in front of him. But who could blame him? He hadn’t seen this person for fifteen years already. It was only natural that he wouldn’t immediately recognize a baby, that he had only seen once and didn't know the gender of, now as a teenager.

And he wouldn’t have been capable to foresee that chubby, little baby was would turn into the most beautiful person he had ever see. If it hadn’t been for those brilliant, violet eyes — that he could still clearly remember no matter how much time had passed — Subaru wouldn’t probably have recognized Kamui.

Subaru had let himself being coaxed out and let his other-self take control over his actions. He had been surprised when Kamui had led him to the bathroom. And had to look away when the teen took off his blazer, shirt, and tie. Revealing the slender and pale upper body to his eyes. He had averted his eyes, feeling like a sexual predator. Which didn’t make sense to him at the time.

It wasn’t until he had spent two weeks with Kamui did he understand why he had been so drawn to this boy since the first time he saw him.

Kamui is his soulmate. That is the reason why his other side didn’t react to Kamui in any other way than wanting to protect him and being close to him. And having to part with the teen as soon as his wound healed had been the hardest thing Subaru has had to do. But it had also been a relief since Kamui had been completely vulnerable in front of him, only thinking of him as an animal. Which had tested his self-control immensely.

The months he had spent apart from Kamui had been hard but a must. Subaru still had his own life. So no matter how much he had missed Kamui, Subaru had restrained himself from going back to Kamui’s side to stay with his soulmate inside the smaller male’s house. Especially since Kamui would only have welcomed him if he had been Kurō. Subaru couldn't stay in his jaguar-form for forever. That was not how he wanted his relationship to be with Kamui. A human and his jaguar pet.

Subaru had asked his grandmother to keep an eye on Kamui since those thugs had been after him and had even tried to kidnap the teen in broad daylight. And made sure that she told to tell Jin — since it was a secret from the man that Subaru had been staying with his son for two weeks without his awareness. Jin hadn't been happy at all that the pimp was still after his son. There had been no further attempts to abduct Kamui so Subaru felt a little relief for that. For the moment at least. He was still keeping tabs on that Kuzushita character in case the man decided to make such attempts again. 

Subaru hadn’t noticed that the metal can that he is holding was getting crushed by how hard his grip was as he recalled the kidnapping attempt on his soulmate that the disgusting bastard had tried to execute.

“Subaru-san?” The tentative voice of his soulmate brought him back from several acts of torture that he was imagining inside his mind. A pale hand took the crushed can away from between his clenched fingers and then dried the still hot coffee that had spilled over and onto his hand. Only now did Subaru feel the slight burning heat of the hot beverage on his palm and on the skin on the back of his hand.

He let out a slight wince of pain when Kamui dried his hand with a cold handkerchief and just as the teen was about to withdraw his hand away from Subaru’s, the man caught the smaller hand in his. Squeezing it in thanks before letting go. Subaru didn’t want Kamui’s overprotective father to catch him doing anything ‘inappropriate’ to his son. A mental sigh escaped him. The biggest hurdle after making sure that Kamui had fallen for him would be making Jin, or more rather the whole Shirou Shrine and Family to accept him as Kamui’s significant other.

“Thank you, Kamui-chan.” He said softly, using a suffix meant for both children or girls. Or even for someone very close to oneself. Fortunately so wasn’t the media aware of Jin’s **son’s** name and Subaru could use it liberally and only changing the suffix he usually used after Kamui’s name from -kun to -chan.

Kamui turned slightly pink at the use of the suffix of his name. Only his father and uncle usually called him that way. But it was different from the way Subaru said it towards him. His father and uncle said it with the love for a son, of family. But Subaru’s tone was different. When Subaru said his name the man’s voice, eyes and face was soft and tender. Looking at him with love, but a different kind of love than that of his parent.

Kamui was aware of what kind of love Subaru regarded him with. The knowledge sent his heart fluttering. But Kamui was still unsure of his own feelings towards his soulmate. He knew that he liked Subaru as something more than a friend. But to what extent he wasn’t sure of and whether these feelings were of love or not were up to debate.

A sigh escapes Kamui as he watched his father and Subaru act together on set. He didn’t like that he has to be dressed as a girl again but he didn’t have a choice as the scriptwriter had added more scenes with the girl that Kamui acted as. Apparently liking how he acted and how good he and Subaru looks together.

Jin hadn’t really liked the last reason for Kamui’s character’s reappearances. His father instincts were high-wired after a week of only having seen his son via video calls on the phone. And when asking the younger Shirou how it was living with Jin’s younger co-worker, his son would turn red. Then Kamui would start to talk a lot about Subaru. Like the green-eyed man’s likes and dislikes, odd habits, hobbies, work, and how of a great person he is. To Jin it was very clear that his son liked Subaru. A lot. Almost too much for Jin’s taste.

Don’t get him wrong. Jin wasn’t as narrow-minded to care about age-differences nor that they are of the same gender. He has been an actor for several year and met a lot of people so someone’s sexuality didn’t bother him. His own mother and father has a fifteen-year age gap between them so a nine-year one wasn’t a big deal to Jin.

No, the matter was that the other part of the couple would be his son. His little Kamui-chan. Jin knew that Kamui was already sixteen and that he was at the age where he was going to start to have crushes and start going out with someone. But still! Jin didn’t want his son to grow up yet! He still wanted his Kamui-chan to remain as innocent as he had been as a child. To never leave the so-called nest.

Jin was aware that Kamui was old enough to date someone. He himself had already started dating while he was thirteen and had gone out with several people before he met Kamui’s mother, Magami Tohru, when he had been nineteen. And after that it hadn’t taken him long until he proposed to her and they married and had Kamui.

Jin had known Subaru since the younger man had been a child and Jin had helped him with the conflicted emotions contained into him when he had been a teenager. Something that the Sumeragi Elders should have solved before Subaru started lashing out and it took a bad turn for the green-eyed male’s mental **and** physical health. 

By giving the young man back then an outlet had been the only thing that Jin could have done for him.

The curse that Subaru suffered under hadn’t been a surprise for Jin when it started to hinder Subaru’s acting career when the younger male had told him the reason why he could no longer act full-time as he had done before.

Jin had already found out about the curse a long time ago when his own son was only about a year-old. After the Memorial Service of his wife’s funeral. Coming back to his napping one-year old son and seeing a half-grown panther cub curled up right beside him had given Jin the heart-attack of the century. But Kamui had just continued to sleep beside — unknown to Jin during the time he found them — Subaru and felt safe even while the other had been, although a cub, a predator animal.

It wasn’t until Jin’s mother’s best friend, Sumeragi Sakuya, had come with him to search for her grandson and to see his and Tohru’s precious son and the possible future heir to the Shirou Shrine. It was then he had found out about the curse that was inherited through their family bloodline.

He was also told the way to break the curse. The two adults already figuring out why Subaru had calmed down considerably by Kamui’s side.

But because they had met, Subaru’s jaguar side had been wreaking havoc inside Subaru because it was agitated. Searching for something that should be beside it but wasn’t there.

Sakuya had tried to get Subaru to be Kamui’s playmate and babysitter, but the other elders of her clan had deemed it to be inappropriate for the real heir to associate with a toddler. That is his soulmate and a **boy**. To Sakuya it was clearly apparent that her fellow elders only cared about the fact that Kamui had been born as the male gender. And not that he was her grandson’s soulmate and the only possibility to finally end this curse. Not caring about the fact of keeping the two of them separated hurt her grandson much more.

She had finally confided to Jin about what to do when Subaru’s health had gotten to its lowest point in his teenage years. Especially since Jin was the parent to Kamui. Her grandson’s soulmate.

Jin had decided to talk to the young Sumeragi male and had surprisingly found out that he had a talent for acting and had offered him a way out from the confining walls of the Sumeragi compound that kept him caged and from the freedom that he craved.

Jin was very aware that big cats thrived more in freedom than in enclosure. Especially after Kamui’s not so odd obsession of big cats when he was seven. His son’s subconsciousness making an effort in to make Kamui being able to handle his soulmate in their future meetings.

That is the very reason he is so agitated now. He knows that Subaru will treasure his son but all his father instincts are rebelling and telling him that he should separate them. To keep the illusion that Kamui is still just a small child and continue to protect him as such.

The older Shirou watches as his son blush when Subaru leans down to whisper something with a smile. How Kamui pouts but doesn’t leave the man’s side despite being teased. And then lets out a smile that Jin had never seen before…

When had his little Kamui-chan grown up so much…?

* * *

Kamui heaves a sigh as he stares out of the window beside his assigned seat in the classroom. It has been three weeks since summer vacation ended and three weeks since he last saw Subaru. He was so lost inside his mind that he did not notice the concerned grey eyes directed towards him from his classmate and desk neighbor.

Who is a friend and the Treasurer of the student council that Kamui’s older cousin is the President over. His name is Ijyuin Akira. He is the same age as Kamui and has known the other boy ever since they were in elementary grade through Nokoru, who had been an older student in the Main Campus in Tokyo of Clamp Campus. And also back then the student council’s president for the elementary department.

Akira had been Kamui’s cousin’s treasurer even back then. And they had met through Nokoru whenever the blonde wanted to see his younger cousin and dragged both Akira and the secretary from the elementary school and the current vice-president of the high school department of the second Clamp Campus school.

Ever since the summer break has ended, Akira had watched several times over how his friend and classmate would suddenly sigh and looked… forlornly at the sky. Like he wanted to be somewhere else. Or maybe missing someone?

Akira had heard from Nokoru that someone in the media had found out that Kamui had been in Tokyo. And his friend being the son of Shi Jin — real name Shirou Jin — was big news to the people in Tokyo. In fact so wasn’t there even many in Kyoto that knew of who exactly Kamui’s father is. Only that he was busy with his work. All students in school did know who Kamui’s father is. They had after all seen the older Shirou during every ceremony to celebrate the new school year or the ceremonies when they graduate from a grade.

But every single student had to sign a confidential agreement the moment they enter Clamp Campus since many prodigies did go there and children of celebrities. Or people that needed to or wanted to work during school hours. They even had net courses for high school and university classes.

(That’s how Subaru got his high school diploma and his Bachelor & Master’s Degrees in Arts and Politics with a few attendances since he hadn’t been able to go to school because of his curse.)

“Kamui-kun, is something the matter? You have been sighing quite a lot lately,” Akira finally asked. Wanting to help Kamui with whatever that was bothering him.

Kamui startles as his friend’s voice brings his mind back to earth. He hesitates a bit and considers how to tell Akira about what his feelings since he came back to Kyoto after they break from school ended. It would also be the perfect time to get his friend’s opinion about his thoughts since it was only the two of them inside the classroom.

“Akira… you’re seeing someone, right? Ohkawa Utako-san was her name?” Akira nods in confirmation that his friend has gotten his girlfriend’s name right he slightly gets a dreamy look in his eyes before mentally shaking it off as his friend wants to consult with him about something important to Kamui.

“H-how did you know that you like her? And I mean like her as something more than as a friend?” Kamui asks, unusually shy as he undiscernibly fidgets as he waits for Akira’s answer as the other fluffy haired teenager thinks about his answer. Akira has an inkling thought to why Kamui wants to know his answer.

“Well, I and Utako-san met when I was in fourth grade and she in preschool. But she was incredible way more mature than her other peers as she is also a daughter of the CEO of the Ohkawa Conglomerates and was educated to be a lady worthy of her name.

Because of my father, I had a certain… job during my elementary school years and Utako-san caught me doing my job one day. She accepted all of me. My family could be considered odd as I have two mothers, who are twins, and my father being absent because of work.

Utako-san was quite reckless at the time and I realized that I liked her more than I had previously thought. Even if she was quite younger than me.” Akira let out a chuckle of fondness before he continued, “Did you know, she jumped off the railing of a balcony where I was working at the time. Fortunately, I managed to catch her. We had a heart-to-heart talk then and I decided to be with her until she came of age to start dating her.

It might not have been love at first sight but before I knew it, so would my eyes always be drawn to her whenever she was in the vicinity. My thoughts would stray towards her. Wondering how she is now, what is she doing now, is she also looking at this same scenery from a different place. Then my heart would beat faster whenever I am near her. I feel happy when I am with her. I feel like I can be myself with her. Whenever I’m not by her side I feel lonely but all the same I long even more for the times I get to see her.”

Kamui had never seen such a gentle smile on Akira’s face. His eyes soft and full of warmth. But he had seen a somewhat similar expression on Subaru’s face whenever he looked at him.

“But why do you want to know, Kamui-kun?” Akira tilts his head to the side as he regards how his usually aloof friend’s cheeks flushes pink at his question and fidgets with his hands.

“Umm… t-there was someone that confessed to me but they said that I could give them an answer later when I’m sure of my own feelings.”

Akira perked up at that. “Oh! Another confession!” Then he was confused. “You usually turn all confessions down immediately. What makes this one different?”

“I know this person from before…” That was more or less accurate. Only that Kamui had known Subaru as Kurō and hadn’t known that the panther that he had taken inside was truly a human. “And in Tokyo I got to know them on a more personal level…”

Akira had never seen Kamui this shy before. Looking uncertainly at everything.

“Kamui-kun, if you want me to tell you that you love this person then it is impossible. Only you yourself can decide if what you are feeling towards this feeling is love or not. I can give you advice from my own relationship and experiences. But ultimately it is you who decides what you want to do with the feelings you have towards this person.” Akira explains gently to his friend who looks so unsure that it hurts his heart.

“I… I know… but this is the first time I’m feeling like this…” Kamui says quietly. Directing his eyes down to the floor.

“I understand that, Kamui-kun.” Akira pats his friend’s back in assurance. “And I know that you will reach the right answer for you. I will support you in whatever way I can. I also promise that I won’t tell President or your father about this.” Akira winks at Kamui playfully. Finally bringing a small smile up to his face.

Kamui was glad that Akira wouldn’t tell his cousin nor his dad about this. Knowing how both of them would react. Nokoru would try to make him and Subaru be together with his over the top methods. While Jin would cancel all his work and rush over to Kyoto and hug the life out of him while crying about how Kamui is still too young to date.

Kamui was both looking and not looking forward to the day he had to introduce his future partner to his family. Knowing just what kind of reactions each of them will have.

* * *

Kamui was walking up the stairs to the shrine up the mountain. Lost in his thoughts. It wasn’t until one of the spirits — that had taken a fancy to one of the trees in his family home’s yard — came and whispered something in his ear that he started to run up the steps in a hurry.

Akira’s words repeating inside his mind.

_“It might not have been love at first sight but before I knew it, so would my eyes always be drawn to her whenever she was in the vicinity.”_

Kamui remembers the times when his eyes had been drawn towards Subaru whenever the man’s presence was recognized by his mind. Even while the other was doing something completely mundane.

_“My thoughts would stray towards her. Wondering how she is now, what is she doing now, is she also looking at this same scenery from a different place.”_

Ever since he had come back to Kyoto, Kamui’s thoughts would always be on Subaru. Was he eating properly? Was he sleeping properly in his bed instead of on the floor? Is his work going well? How is he managing his transformations?

_“Then my heart would beat faster whenever I am near her.”_

Kamui recalls that his heart had started to beat faster ever since he first met Subaru as a human. Even if the man was just calmly sitting in the same room as him.

_“I feel happy when I am with her. I feel like I can be myself with her.”_

Kamui has never felt the need to act differently in front of Subaru. He didn’t need to pretend that some things didn’t affect him and could show the older man more of his insecure sides without worry.

_“Whenever I’m not by her side I feel lonely but all the same I long even more for the times I get to see her.”_

Every day, since he came back to Kyoto, he waits for Subaru to contact him. Feeling his heart beat in anticipation every time he gets a text, greeting both good morning and good night, asking him how he is, how his day has been, and if something interesting has happened recently. And even though it has only been three weeks since he last saw Subaru and kept in contact with him, Kamui couldn’t help but miss him. Looking forward to the day he could see the older male again.

_‘I…I…!’_

Kamui was running as fast as he could up the stairs. Taking two or even three steps at a time.

_‘I… towards…’_

He is cutting through the forest that surround the shrine and the mountain to get faster to his house. Trees and bushes appearing and disappearing in his peripheral vision as his sports shoes digs into the dirt to increase his speed.

_‘I…towards… Subaru…!’_

Kamui is panting hard when passes through the plantation that surround his house. Stopping where he is to bend down, placing his hands on his bent knees, panting hard. When he has enough air in his lungs, Kamui looks up and sees the surprised green eyes meeting his.

Kamui can’t help but think that Subaru sitting on the porch in their backyard, smoking and relaxing in the sun just feels right.

_‘I… I… love him! I love Subaru…!’_


End file.
